WASHINGTON (February 14, 2019) – Howard University associate professor of economics, Omari H. Swinton, Ph.D., is now president of the National Economic Association (NEA), an organization dedicated to producing and distributing knowledge of economic issues that are of exceptional interest to promoting economic growth among people of color. Swinton’s appointment is effective as of February 1, 2019. 

“This is an exciting time to be president of the NEA as we embark on our 50th anniversary,” Swinton says. “Through the Review of Black Political Economy, the NEA has promoted research that has shaped public policy and provided an outlet for research that addresses racial and gender inequality. My goal is to continue the tradition of supporting the professional development of minorities within the economics profession." 

Swinton has been a faculty member of Howard University’s Department of Economics since 2007. He currently teaches introductory, intermediate, and urban economics, alongside serving as chair of the department and its director of graduate studies. Throughout his career, Swinton has conducted extensive research on labor economics, economics of education and industrial organization. Additionally, he has published and co-published a variety of journals, from examining the teenage labor market, to identifying the returns to a college education. Swinton earned a bachelor of science in economics at Florida A&M University and a master of arts in economics from Duke University, where he also earned a doctorate of philosophy in economics.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media contact: Ramzey Smith, Office of University Communications, Ramzey.smith@howard.edu