Stanford Data Science Distinguished Lecture

Stanford Data Science is pleased to host our Spring Distinguished Lecture on March 19th, 2025. Our speaker is Raj Chetty, is the William A. Ackman Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the Director of Opportunity Insights.

The Lecture will start promptly at 6:30 PM, followed by a 7:30 PM dinner reception and an opportunity to engage with others in the Stanford Data Science community.

Abstract: Children’s chances of earning more than their parents have fallen from 90% to 50% over the past half-century in America. How can we improve opportunities for upward economic mobility? This talk will present findings from a recent set of studies at Opportunity Insights that use various sources of big data—ranging from anonymized tax records to social network data—to understand the science of economic opportunity. Among other topics, the talk will discuss how and why children’s chances of climbing the income ladder vary across neighborhoods, how highly selective colleges may amplify the persistence of privilege, and the role of social capital as a driver of upward mobility. Methodologically, the talk will focus on how novel insights can be obtained by combining experimental and large-scale observational data. The talk will conclude by giving examples of how data science is informing the design of a wide range of policy interventions—from affordable housing to job training programs—to expand opportunities.

Raj Chetty is the William A. Ackman Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the Director of Opportunity Insights, which uses big data to study the science of economic opportunity: how we can give children from all backgrounds better chances of succeeding? Chetty’s work has been widely cited in academia, media outlets, and policy discussions in the United States and beyond.

Chetty received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2003 and is one of the youngest-tenured professors in Harvard’s history. He has received numerous awards for his research, including a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the John Bates Clark medal, given to the economist under 40 whose work is judged to have made the most significant contribution to the field, and Harvard’s George Ledlie prize, awarded for research that made the most valuable contribution to science, or in any way for the benefit of mankind.

For further information, please see

Prof. Chetty’s full CV.

Stanford Data Science brings world-class researchers to campus every quarter in our Distinguished Lecture series. These speakers build and apply modern data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence techniques and tools to accelerate data-driven discoveries across all fields. Lectures are free for the whole community and include an informal reception beforehand. Spend an evening with creative thought leaders on the Stanford campus. Past lecture recordings are available on our .

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