Overview
Lisa A. Keister is professor of sociology and public policy at Duke University and an affiliate of the Duke Network Analysis Center and the Duke Population Research Initiative. Her current research focuses on organization strategy, elite households, the processes that explain extremes in wealth and income inequality, and on group differences in the intergenerational transfer of assets. She has been focusing on the causes and consequences of net worth poverty recently with colleagues from the Sanford school and is currently completing two books: one on America’s wealthiest families, the one percent, and one on net worth poverty.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Sociology
·
2006 - Present
Sociology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
·
2018 - Present
Sanford School of Public Policy
Faculty Research Scholar of DuPRI's Population Research Center
·
2010 - Present
Duke Population Research Center,
Duke Population Research Institute
Affiliate of the Center for Child and Family Policy
·
2023 - Present
Center for Child and Family Policy,
Sanford School of Public Policy
Bass Fellow
·
2018 - Present
Sociology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Scholarly Works
Housing Fragility: Wealth Position, Portfolio Composition, and Education Among Homeowners
Journal article Social Sciences · July 1, 2026 Homeownership is considered an important indicator of financial stability, but the economic security it provides varies substantially across households. In this paper, I examine housing fragility among U.S. homeowners and ask how vulnerability to housing- ... Full text CiteTop wealth households in China and the United States: Wealth portfolios and determinants of top wealth
Journal article International Journal of Comparative Sociology · June 1, 2026 Top wealth households are crucial to understanding inequality. This study contrasts the characteristics of top wealth households in China and the United States, highlighting the salient differences between the two countries. A comprehensive review of extan ... Full text CiteRethinking Financial Status: A Comprehensive Case-Based Approach
Journal article Social Currents · April 1, 2026 Financial status—the configuration of a household’s income, assets, and debts—shapes economic security, social position, influence, and opportunities for intergenerational transmission of well-being. Yet prior research typically relies on single, summed in ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Focused Training in Social Networks and Health
Inst. Training Prgm or CMECo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2026Net Worth Poverty and Children's Development
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2025Economic security and health disparity in COVID-19: A computational modeling approach.
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2024View All Grants
Education
Cornell University ·
1997
Ph.D.
Cornell University ·
1995
M.A.
University of Oklahoma ·
1991
M.A.