William Easterly ‘79

William Easterly is a professor of economics at New York University and co-director of its Development Research Institute. He wrote two best-selling books: “The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest have Done So Much Harm and So Little Good” and “The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists’ Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics.” In 2008 and 2009, Easterly was named the Top 100 Global Public Intellectuals. He also ranks among the top 100 most-cited academic economists worldwide.