معرفی
Robert French is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation (2024-2025). In August 2025, he will join Loyola Marymount University as an Assistant Professor of Economics. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University (2024), and a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Toronto. His research focuses on urban and public economics, examining neighborhood sorting, spatial inequality, housing affordability, and welfare impacts of gentrification on low-income households.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Public Policy, Harvard University, 2024
- M.A. in Economics, University of Toronto
- B.A. in Economics, University of Toronto
Research Interests:
French’s work bridges urban economics and public policy, with a focus on how spatial and policy interventions affect low-income households. His recent papers investigate gentrification welfare impacts, suburban housing vacancy chains, and optimal urban policies for economic mobility. He employs structural models and administrative data to analyze neighborhood dynamics, emphasizing spatial inequality and behavioral barriers in policy design.
Awards:
- Best Paper on Housing by a Doctoral Student (2023, Joint Center for Housing Studies)
- Best Junior Paper Submitted for the 2024 AREUEA National Conference
Teaching & Future Work:
French has taught at Harvard Kennedy School (PhD Micro Theory) and Harvard College (Intermediate Micro Theory). His upcoming role at Loyola Marymount underscores his commitment to urban innovation and policy. Ongoing projects explore behavioral aspects of neighborhood choice and the geographic distribution of policy benefits.
