Jens Ludwig

  • Title: Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor
  • Education: PhD, Duke University; BA, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
  • Joined UChicago faculty: 2007
  • jludwig@uchicago.edu
  • @profjensludwig

Jens Ludwig

Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, Pritzker Director of the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab, and co-director of the Education Lab. He helped found the Crime Lab and Education Lab to work closely with the public sector to solve pressing social problems. These partnerships have led to important policy changes in cities around the country, including Chicago and New York, and have been featured in national news outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, PBS News Hour, and National Public Radio, and the scientific basis for these policies have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals like the American Economic Review, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Science, and Nature. In 2012 he was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science.

Media Contact

Elisa Xu

Media Relations Analyst

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Expertise

Guns, Urban studies

Ludwig Stories

Why half of urban kids drop out

Prof. Jens Ludwig explains Urban Education Lab's study of successful tutoring, mentoring programs for CPS students


UChicago Crime Lab awarded $1 million

Crime Lab plans to use MacArthur Foundation's award to pursue 'promising' urban policy projects


The real cost of gun crimes

Crime Lab Director Jens Ludwig argues that proposed law to enact minimum sentences for gun possession would decrease local crime's 'social costs'


Q&A: Guns, Cities and the Death of Hadiya Pendleton

Prof. Jens Ludwig, co-director of Crime Lab discusses urban crime and gun legislation in wake of shooting


Time Magazine