- Zach Parolin to become Oxford’s new Professor of Social Policy, Inequality & Opportunity on October 1st;
- He will direct the Economics, Inequality and Opportunity Programme at INET Oxford, which seeks to understand the drivers and implications of economic inequality;
- Professor Parolin succeeds Emeritus Professor Brian Nolan in the role, who retired last year.
Zach Parolin has been announced as the new Professor of Social Policy, Inequality & Opportunity at the University of Oxford.
Professor Parolin, who joins Oxford from Bocconi University in Milan, succeeds Emeritus Professor Brian Nolan at the University’s Department of Social Policy & Intervention (DSPI) who retired last year. He will sit as a Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College, a graduate college of the University of Oxford dedicated to advanced study and research in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics, and sociology.
Zach will Direct the University’s Economics, Inequality and Opportunity (EIO) Programme at The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School (INET Oxford), which seeks to understand the drivers and implications of economic inequality and what is required to produce fairer growth and opportunity.
He joins Oxford with an impressive body of research that focuses on the measurement, causes, and consequences of poverty, inequality, and social mobility across the United States and European Union. His publications have appeared in journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, American Sociological Review, AEA: Papers & Proceedings, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, Demography, and elsewhere.
Professor Parolin’s work has had a significant impact shaping public debate, having been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Economist, The Atlantic, CNN, in a U.S. presidential debate, and in other outlets. He is also the author of 'Poverty in the Pandemic: Policy Lessons from COVID-19'.
He will take up the post at the start of the new academic year, on 1 October 2025.
'Unique perspective' will enrich Oxford's research
“Zach’s wealth of experience and interdisciplinary insight will be invaluable in helping to further develop our understanding of economic inequality, and ultimately contribute to social reform across the world,” commented Professor Kenneth Nelson, Interim Head of Department of Social Policy and Intervention. “His leadership and strong profile in areas of cross-national comparisons, poverty, and wellbeing incomes will help strengthen the Department's research agenda in social policy, and his unique perspective will enrich our scholarly community, strengthen our teaching, and help drive change to build more equitable and just societies."
“Issues related to economic inequality and opportunity are having a profound effect on politics and society", said Professor Eric Beinhocker, Executive Director of The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School. "We welcome the appointment of a scholar of Zach’s calibre to play a leading role in Oxford’s research on this critical topic”.
Zach Parolin's Key Publications
Zach Parolin's Research in the Press
