Masterclass Series

Professor James Robinson, University Professor; Harris School of Public Policy and UChicago Department of Political Science, discusses how Colombia functions as a state through the lens of Colombian paramilitarism.

Recorded: November 9, 2021

Paula Worthington, Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, discusses "Infrastructure in the Post-Pandemic 21st Century."


Recorded: January 12, 2022

Austin Wright, Associate Professor, shares his research on what mobile data can tell us about the January 6, 2021 insurrection in the US.

Recorded: May 3, 2022

Justin Marlowe, Research Professor, shares his extensive expertise in the world of public finance, with emphasis on public capital markets, infrastructure finance, state and local budgeting, and financial disclosure.

Recorded: May 24, 2022

Associate Professor Peter Ganong shares an excerpt from the first class of Data and Programming I.


Recorded: August 11, 2022

David Chrisinger, Director of the Harris Writing Program, shares how a single story shape is especially useful in policy communication, whether you're telling a story about yourself, your community, or your organization.

Recorded: September 8, 2022

John Burrows, Senior Lecturer, shares his expertise in leadership, negotiations, decision-making, strategy, and organizational psychology in a teaser from his class, Management Matters.

Recorded: December 7, 2022

Senior Lecturer Thomas Coleman discusses Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz, monetary theory, and the history of Chicago economics.

Recorded: January 10, 2023

Kimberly Wolske, Research Associate Professor, shares behavioral science insights for effective energy policy.

Recorded: February 13, 2023

Christopher Blattman, University Professor, shares the key takeaways from his book, Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace.


Recorded: March 14, 2023

Assistant Professor Anjali Adukia discusses her use of machine learning to examine award-winning children's books to see who is represented in terms of racial constructs, gender identity, and age.

Recorded: April 4, 2023

Fiona Burlig, Assistant Professor, shares her research on energy and environmental economics, specifically how access to monsoon forecasts helps farmers in developing countries.

Recorded: May 3, 2023

Eyal Frank, Assistant Professor uses econometric techniques to estimate different pieces of the puzzle regarding the social cost of biodiversity losses.

Recorded: September 28, 2023

Konstantin Sonin, John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor, studies political economics, conflict, development, and economic theory. In his Masterclass, he discusses how partisanship and political geography fueled January 6, 2021.

Recorded: October 26, 2023

Professor Anthony Fowler shares research in which he determines that when it comes to their stances on political issues, Americans across partisan divides may have more in common with each other than first meets the eye.

Recorded: November 30, 2023

Dr. Wolfe discusses behavioral theories in program design with insights from her recent work, "Unbundling Peacebuilding: How Mediation and Community Dialogues Help to Prevent and Manage Violent Conflict in North Central Nigeria.”


Recorded Jan. 28, 2025

Navin Kumar, Assistant Instructional Professor, explores asymmetric information, the "lemons model," and its implications for healthcare, insurance, equity, efficiency, and the government’s role in keeping markets functioning.

Recorded: June 3, 2025

Professor Koichiro Ito highlights how—using data to build a structural model—he and his colleagues analyze the investment effects of market integration on renewable energy expansion.

Recorded: Nov. 19. 2025

Lesley Turner, Associate Professor, discusses how the incentives built into the current structure of the financing of higher education affects students and colleges, and the implications these responses have for students’ educational attainment, labor market outcomes, and financial wellbeing.

Recorded: Jan. 26, 2026

Coleman discusses blockchain, cryptocurrency, and Strategy Inc.—the first major “digital asset treasury” company—and give an overview of bitcoin, ethereum, and stablecoins.

Coleman will also delve into what appeals to people about a decentralized digital database and whether it can truly revolutionize finance.

Recorded: Feb. 12, 2026

Moon Duchin details algorithmic approaches that illuminate the properties of "neutral" redistricting. Duchin’s use of math modeling to analyze redistricting has led to her serving as an expert in numerous voting rights court cases throughout the United States, as well as advising legislatures and independent commissions.

Recorded: Apr. 7, 2026