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Brian K. Kovak

Brian K. Kovak


Professor of Economics and Public Policy

Brian Kovak is a Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

His research examines the labor market impacts of international trade, migration, and technological change. Dr. Kovak’s recent work concerns the long-run effects of trade liberalization on workers' employment and earnings, workers' geographic mobility in response to local economic shocks, and policies to support displaced workers. His research has been published in leading journals such as the American Economic Review, Review of Economics and Statistics, and the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.

Dr. Kovak received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan, a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University, and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Penn State University. He is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a Research Fellow of IZA, and serves as an Associate Editor at the Journal of International Economics. His research has been covered by various media outlets including the Atlantic, Financial Times, LA Times, Slate, and the Wall Street Journal. In 2014 he was awarded the IZA Young Labor Economist Award for the best peer-reviewed journal publication in labor economics by authors under age 40 and in 2019 he was awarded a Carnegie Fellowship.

Courses Taught


  • 90-440 - Critical Analysis of Policy Research
  • 90-822 - Critical Analysis of Policy Research
  • 90-908 - Ph.D. Microeconomics

In The Media


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