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 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 Publications
Net worth poverty and child Well-being: Black-White differences.
Journal Article Children and youth services review · February 2025 Net worth poverty, defined as having wealth (assets minus debts) that is less than one-fourth the federal poverty line, can have negative associations with children's development. Net worth poverty can reflect the lack of assets or the presence of debts, w ... Full text CiteGlobal Financial Shocks and American Elites: Income and Wealth of the One Percent in the United States, 1989 to 2022
Journal Article American Behavioral Scientist · January 1, 2025 Extreme levels of inequality have drawn increasing attention to those at the top of the income and wealth distributions, and the United States is home to some of the world’s most affluent and influential households. A robust literature on economic elites i ... Full text CiteNet worth poverty and food insecurity
Journal Article American Journal of Agricultural Economics · January 1, 2025 Food insecurity is a widespread problem faced by American families, particularly those with children. It is clear that poverty contributes to food insecurity, but extant research focuses almost exclusively on income poverty (IP). We move beyond income-cent ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Net Worth Poverty and Children's Development
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2025Focused Training in Social Networks and Health
Inst. Training Prgm or CMECo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 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, Training & Certifications
Cornell University ·
1997
Ph.D.
Cornell University ·
1995
M.A.
University of Oklahoma ·
1991
M.A.