Adriana Kugler
Economist, Policy Expert, and Professor
An American economist, Dr Adriana Kugler, serves as a Full Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy and Economics at Georgetown University Throughout her more than 15 years at Georgetown, she has taken on several leadership roles, including serving as Vice Provost for Faculty from 2013 to 2016 In this position, she worked on initiatives focused on improving the clarity of Promotion and Tenure (P&T) processes and standards, strengthening faculty development, improving new-faculty orientation, and creating a new framework for non-tenure-track faculty She also received an NSF grant that supported efforts to encourage and support women in STEM fields.
Governor, Federal Reserve Board
She took a leave of absence from Georgetown after being nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a governor of the Federal Reserve Board from September 2023 to August 2025. During her time as a governor, she contributed to several important committees, including the Committee on Financial Stability, the Committee on Federal Reserve Bank Affairs, the Committee on Board Affairs, and the Subcommittee on Smaller Regional and Community Banking
As one of the seven members of the Federal Reserve Board, she also served as a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). In addition, she represented the Board at the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies During her service, she delivered numerous public speeches covering topics such as global and idiosyncratic influences on inflation, the distributional impacts of inflation, monetary policy transmission, the importance of expectations, the maximum employment mandate, and housing markets She also visited 10 of the 12 Federal Reserve districts and met with communities across different regions during her tenure
U.S. Executive Director, World Bank
She served as the U S Executive Director of the World Bank from 2022 to 2023 after being nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate. During this period, she worked to advance efforts to evolve the World Bank and other Multilateral Development Institutions to place greater focus on global public goods, including climate change, pandemics, and conflict-related challenges
For her contributions to the multilateral development system, she received the Chase Award from the U S Department of the Treasury She also played an important role in accelerating and protecting budget support for Ukraine, supported initiatives addressing global food insecurity through both immediate access and long-term production capacity, and contributed to education recovery efforts following the pandemic
She also promoted initiatives designed to support women and underrepresented groups within the World Bank and its Board, reflecting her continued commitment to broader participation and opportunities.
Previous Positions
She co-founded and served as Co-Director of the International Summer Institute on Policy Evaluation from 2010 to 2013 During the Obama Administration, she served as Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2011 to 2013. In that role, she contributed to policy development involving unemployment insurance, workforce training, retirement benefits, overtime pay, minimum wage, immigration, disability insurance, and occupational safety.
Before joining Georgetown University, she held faculty positions as an Associate Professor and Full Professor in the Economics departments at the University of Houston and the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona Her research has examined labor markets and policy evaluation in both developed and developing economies Her work has contributed to understanding public policies related to payroll taxes, employment protections, occupational licensing, unemployment, and immigration
Recognition for Her Work
Adriana Kugler has received recognition for her professional contributions and influence in economics and public policy. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance by Barron’s for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025 She was also recognized by Bloomberg Linea as one of the top 500 most influential people in Latin America in 2023
She was Runner-up for the Leslie Whittington Faculty Member of the Year Award at Georgetown University in 2021, receiving recognition from 16 nominations In 2020, she was a Finalist for the Gerald M. Mara Faculty Mentoring Award at Georgetown University.
Her impact on the study of policies and regulations was further recognized when she received the 2007 John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar Award from the Labor and Employment Relations Association In 2010, one of her research papers received the First Prize for Best Contribution in the area of “Globalization, Regulations and Development” from the Global Development Network
Mentoring
Dr Kugler has consistently supported the growth and development of others through her dedication to mentoring. She has served as a mentor for the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE) Research Fellowship Program, a joint initiative of Spelman College, Morehouse College, and the Black Economic Alliance Foundation. She has also worked directly with high school and undergraduate students through career outreach efforts, including programs such as Exploring Careers in Economics
She supported efforts to relaunch the mentoring program at the Federal Reserve Board and has actively contributed to strengthening pathways into the economics profession through the American Economic Association’s (AEA) Pipeline Program. Over the years, she has also coauthored research with numerous graduate students
She was invited twice to deliver Commencement Speeches, including at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Virginia
Her commitment to mentorship also extends throughout academia, where she has guided junior faculty members through programs such as the AEA’s Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP). She has served as a workshop co-leader and contributed to publications focused on mentorship In addition, she has participated in and supported many student and professional organizations, demonstrating a continued focus on mentorship, inclusion, and professional development throughout different career stages.
Research, Publications & Policy Leadership
Her research has been published extensively in leading economics and public policy journals, including the American Economic Review, Review of Economics & Statistics, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and the Journal of Labor Economics, among others Her research has also contributed to major international reports, including the World Bank’s World Development Report and publications from the Inter-American Development Bank and the OECD
She has received research support from organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U K ’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Tinker Foundation, and Harvard’s Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) Her work has been discussed by major media outlets, including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, and The Washington Post, as well as national and international broadcast platforms
She has testified before Congress as an expert witness and participated in various federal policy discussions She has held leadership and advisory roles with organizations including the National Academies, the American Statistical Association, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. She has also served on multiple editorial boards She is a Research Associate and Research Fellow at several leading research institutions, including the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Center for Economic Policy Research.
Academic Engagement and Global Policy Leadership
She has built an extensive record of academic engagement and global policy leadership through academic visits, keynote presentations, and participation in major conferences and policy forums She has delivered keynote speeches at institutions and organizations such as the London School of Economics, Princeton University, the European Central Bank, Harvard University, and the Economic Club of New York. Her presentations have addressed important issues including inflation, monetary policy, labor markets, and the economic outlook
Her work has also been featured at international conferences and high-level policy discussions organized by groups such as the American Economic Association, the National Bureau of Economic Research, the IMF, and central banks around the world.
Earlier in her academic career, she held visiting positions at institutions including MIT, IZA Bonn, and INSEE-CREST in Paris. Through these experiences, she has contributed as a speaker, panelist, moderator, and session chair, continuing her involvement in advancing economic research and policy discussions at national and international levels
Education
She earned her Ph D in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997 She also received her Joint BA in Economics and Political Science with First Class Honors from McGill University in Canada in 1991
Through her academic research, public service, policy leadership, and continued dedication to mentoring, Adriana Kugler has contributed to discussions on economics, public policy, labor markets, and global development while continuing to support future generations of researchers, students, and professionals.