Miguel Urquiola is Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs and serves as chair of the Economics Department at Columbia University. His research focuses on the economics of education and his work has appeared in American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of Public Economics, and The Journal of Development Economics, among others. He recently published his first book, Markets, Minds, and Money: Why America Leads the World in University Research.

Professor Urquiola speaks with Dean Harris about how he decided to become an economist, reflects on his work exploring whether increased school choice helps families and students choose schools, and gives insight into how the United States became a leader in producing world class research.