Olugbenga Ajilore ’92

Prior to his current role, he was a senior economist at the Center for American Progress and former associate professor of economics at the University of Toledo. During this period, he conducted research on tax policy and peer social networks, as well as racial bias and policing, particularly the use of lethal and nonlethal physical force by police and police militarization. Since joining the Center for American Progress in 2018, much of his work has focused on the economy of rural America.

His expertise includes regional economic development, macroeconomic policy, and issues in diversity and inclusion. He is a past president of the National Economic Association and is a frequent media commentator on the labor market, particularly for Black Americans. He has been invited to testify before Congress and has been featured in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. 

Olugbenga holds a Ph.D in economics from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and economics from the University of California, Berkeley.