Alec Rhodes

Alec Rhodes is an economic sociologist who studies the causes and consequences of inequality and financial insecurity. He uses political economy, demographic, and spatial perspectives to answer questions related to inequality, poverty and mobility. He is especially interested in how inequalities accumulate over the life course and across different market contexts, as well as the potential for institutions and policy to ameliorate inequalities and hardships. His recent work focuses on labor market institutions and the distribution of resources and opportunities across careers and places in the United States. His other projects examine the relationships between social policy and credit use among low-income populations and the consequences of debt and financial hardship for life chances. He uses survey and administrative data and advanced quantitative methods, including longitudinal data analysis and causal modeling, in his research. Prior to arriving at Purdue, Alec completed a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Institute for Research on Poverty. He received his PhD from Ohio State University and his BA from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.