Jackson State University alumna Kristen Broady, Ph.D. was named the director of the Economic Mobility Project launched by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Project aims to advance research on the economic prospects of Americans, with a particular focus on barriers faced by those with low incomes.
“I am thrilled to be coming to the Chicago Fed to advance research and expertise that could help reduce barriers to economic prosperity for so many Americans,” Broady said.
In the past two years, the pandemic has laid bare the economic vulnerabilities and structural challenges faced by many Americans. The Economic Mobility Project is being launched to highlight and leverage the Chicago Fed’s research, supporting efforts to strengthen and build resiliency in the economy as a whole. This work builds on decades of study at the Chicago Fed, focusing on issues that affect lower-income Americans. The Project will gather internal and external experts to discuss and research critical issues that underpin Americans’ disparate economic opportunities such as place, education, banking and credit availability, and the structure of the labor market.
“In order to have a strong and resilient economy, we need all Americans to have opportunities to meet their potential regardless of their race, gender, or geographic location. The Economic Mobility Project will further inform economic analysis at the Chicago Fed and public policymaking more broadly, supporting prudent and necessary changes to reduce barriers and pave the way for a more dynamic, upwardly – mobile, growing economy,” said Charles L. Evans, president of the Chicago Fed.
Broady began her tenure as director on Feb. 8.
More recently, Broady served as the Fall 2021 commencement speaker at JSU. She also served as a Fellow at the Brookings Institution, performing research and analysis on areas that include the racial wealth gaps, the return to education investment, and the disparate economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Broady has conducted research on mortgage foreclosure, labor and automation, and racial health disparities. She lectures at Spelman College and has served on the faculties of Alabama A&M University, Dillard University, Dominican University, Fort Valley State University, Howard University, Kentucky State University, and as a visiting faculty member at Jiangsu Normal University in Xuzhou, China.
Broady earned a B.A. in criminal justice at Alcorn State University and an MBA and Ph.D. in business administration with a major in economics at Jackson State University.
The Project’s inaugural event, “What is Inclusive Full Employment?”, will take place on April 7 and explore the meaning and implications of the Federal Open Market Committee’s new framework characterizing its maximum employment mandate as broad-based and inclusive. It will feature Raphael Bostic, president of the Atlanta Fed and Charles L. Evans, president of the Chicago Fed. For further details and registration information, please visit chicagofed.org/mobility.
For more information, contact Rachel James-Terry at rachel.d.james-terry@jsums.edu