Steven Durlauf

Steans Professor of Educational Policy at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. Durlauf's research has spanned topics from economic theory to econometrics to empirical analyses to philosophy. Much of research in economic theory has involved the integration of sociological ideas into economic models and the use of statistical mechanics methods to study aggregate behavior when social influences are present. His primary econometric research has focused on the determination of conditions under which the impact of social factors on individual choices can be identified from the sorts of data available to social scientists. He has also worked on the theory and application of optimal policy design. His primary substantive research areas are poverty, inequality, and economic growth.

Durlauf is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society. He was General Editor of the New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and currently is Editor of the Journal of Economic Literature.