Harvard University professor Roland Fryer will present “The Economics of Race” at 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, in the Popp Martin Student Union Multipurpose Room for the TIAA Lecture, part of the UNC Charlotte Civic Series presented by Bank of America.
Fryer is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and founder and faculty director of the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard. Fryer’s research combines economic theory, empirical evidence and randomized experiments to help design more effective government policies. His work on education, inequality and race has been widely cited in media outlets and Congressional testimony.
At 30, Fryer became the youngest African American to receive tenure from Harvard; he has been awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the John Bates Clark Medal, which is given by the American Economic Association to the best American economist under the age of 40. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fryer is a recipient of the Calvó-Armengol Prize and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Fryer served as chief equality officer at the New York City Department of Education from 2007-08 and has published numerous papers on the racial achievement gap, causes and consequences of distinctively black names, affirmative action, the impact of the crack cocaine epidemic and historically black colleges and universities.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, Fryer earned a Ph.D. in economics from Pennsylvania State University.
Fryer’s April 12 lecture is open to the campus community; however, registration is required. To make group and class reservations, contact Tasha Hamilton (thamil28@uncc.edu or 704-687-5462).
Questions can be submitted in advance via email to speakerseries@uncc.edu.