Flavio Cunha is the Ervin K. Zingler Chair and Professor of Economics at Rice University, where he also serves as the Director of the Center for Economic Mobility at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. His research focuses on the economics of human capital formation, economic mobility, and the design and evaluation of social programs.

Professor Cunha’s work combines economic theory, econometric methods, and partnership-based research to better understand how policies and interventions shape individual trajectories over the life cycle. He has collaborated extensively with government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to evaluate programs aimed at improving early childhood development, educational outcomes, and long-term economic well-being.

Cunha’s scholarship has been widely recognized, earning awards such as the Frisch Medal from the Econometric Society and the Aigner Award from the Journal of Econometrics. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

At Rice, he has played a central role in advancing interdisciplinary initiatives, including developing data-driven approaches to economic mobility and leading projects that connect rigorous research with policy and practice.