Charles M. Becker, Research Professor of Economics

Charles M. Becker
Contact Info:
Office Location:  312 Social Sciences, Box 90097, Durham, NC 27708
Office Phone:  (919) 660-1800
Email Address:   send me a message
Web Page:   https://sites.duke.edu/charlesbecker/

Education:

Ph.D.Princeton University1981
M.A.Princeton University1977
B.A.Grinnell College1976
Specialties:

Development Economics
Economic Systems
Health Economics
Urban and Real Estate Economics
Research Interests: Economic Demography; transition economies; urban and regional economics

Current projects: social security forecasting in Kazakhstan, multi regional social security forecasting in Kyrgyzstan, mortality risk in Kazakhstan, migration in the former USSR, disability risk in Russia, determinants of health care utilization in Russia, Russian financial sector development, suburbanization in Indian cities, minority enrollments in graduate economics programs, determinants of poverty in Kyrgyzstan.

Charles Becker is interested in exploring the economies of such countries as Kazakhstan, India, sub-Saharan Africa, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. His research has focused on economic demography, social security system forecasting, CGE modeling, mortality and disability risk, determinants of health care utilization, computable general equilibrium simulation modeling, and urban economics. His on-going projects involve assessing infant mortality rates, poverty in developing countries, accidental deaths in middle-income countries, and the performance of minority students in Economics doctoral programs. He recently worked with Irina Merkuryeva on a project investigating, “Disability Risk and Miraculous Recoveries in Russia,” and with Rebecca Anthopolos on, “Gobal Infant Mortality: Initial results from a cross-country infant mortality comparison project.” He also collaborated with Grigory Marchenko, Sabit Khakimzhanov, Ai-Gul Seitenova, and Vladimir Ivliev on a project entitled, “Social Secutiry Reform in Transition Economies: Lessons from Kazakhstan,” and with Amitava Krishna Dutt and Jaime Ros on, “Urbanization and Rural-Urban Migration.”

Areas of Interest:

pension/social security system forecasting
urbanization and migration in developing countries
inter-regional migration in the former USSR
mortality and disability in the former USSR
population aging and fertility in developing and transition countries
US minority student performance and progression to graduate study

Curriculum Vitae
Representative Publications   (More Publications)

  1. Charles M. Becker, Grigory A. Marchenko, Sabit Khakimzhanov, Ai-Gul S. Seitenova, and Vladimir Ivliev. SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM IN TRANSITION ECONOMICS: LESSONS FROM KAZAKHSTAN. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
  2. Charles M. Becker and Gregory N. Price. "Curriculum Intensity in Graduate Preparatory Programs: Impact on Performance and Progression to Graduate Study among Minority Students in Economics." DOCTORAL EDUCATION AND THE FACULTY OF THE FUTURE. Ed. Ronald G. Ehrenberg and Charlotte V. Kuh Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2008
  3. Becker, CM. "Urbanization and rural-urban migration." INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS (December, 2008): 516-531.
  4. Charles M. Becker, Ai-Gul Seitenova and Dina S. Urzhumova. "Pension Reform in Central Asia: an Overview." ECONOMICS OF INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY IN TRANSITION ECONOMIES. Ed. Masaaki Kuboniwa and Yoshiaki Nishimura Tokyo: Maruzen Publishers, 2006 Ch. 9