Assistant Instructional Professor

About Carolyn Sloane

Carolyn M. Sloane is an assistant instructional professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. She is a labor economist pursuing policy-relevant research questions related to the real consequences of rising wage inequality, non-participation in the labor market, human capital specialization and the college gender wage gap, and differential quality of public, postsecondary educational offerings across location in the US.

Before joining Harris, she was an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Riverside and held a visiting appointment at the University of Chicago. Dr. Sloane holds a BA from Vanderbilt University, MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a PhD in public policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

While at UC Riverside, she originated the course, Rockonomics, which was inspired by Dr. Alan Krueger's research on the economics of the music industry and book, Rockonomics. Starting in January 2024, a reimagined version of this course will be offered at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and will incorporate the study of public policy issues affecting creative sectors. Dr. Sloane will also teach a principles course in microeconomics to undergraduate public policy students and students in the Evening Masters Program.

Dr. Sloane’s research and teaching has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, NPR, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Pitchfork, Scripps, the Hill, KCBS Radio, WCBS Newsradio 880, Nikki Medoro Show, and the Seattle Times.

Published research:

 "College Majors, Occupations and the Gender Wage Gap" with Erik G. Hurst and Dan Black, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 35, no. 4 (2021):223-48

More on Rockonomics:

https://sites.google.com/site/sloanecarolyn/teaching/rockonomics

In the News:

https://sites.google.com/site/sloanecarolyn/in-the-news

Personal website:

https://sites.google.com/site/sloanecarolyn/home