Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe

Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe is an economist and mathematician who analyzes large datasets to find the stories hidden in the aggregate. Her research shows that by disaggregating data, we can identify the nuances in outcomes that can improve economic well-being. Rhonda is the President and Founder of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race.

She is the co-editor of the Review of Black Political Economy and has served as President of the National Economic Association (2017).  She was named a Black Scholar You Should Know by TheBestSchools.org and BlackEnterprise.com 

Rhonda’s areas of expertise include: gender and racial inequality, the diversity of STEM, and the demography of higher education. Her recent publications include: “The quest for inclusion in economics in the U.S.: Fifty years of slow progress,”

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 “Disaggregating Data Will Bring Justice for All,”“Does race in the USA constrain the economics knowledge production function?”, “Did North Carolina Economically Breed-Out Blacks During its Historical Eugenic Sterilization Campaign?”, “Black women economists: At the intersection of race and gender,” “Category Error,” “Disaggregating data by race allows for more accurate research,” “Poverty in Global Perspective,” and “HBCUs: Creating a Scientific Workforce Outta 15 Cents” in Setting a New Agenda for Student Engagement and Retention in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. which she has written about extensively.

Her research has been featured on the PBS News Hour, Marketplace, Kerri Miller Show, the New York Times, The Economist, and The Washington Post. She is a recurring guest on the BBC’s Business Matters and an opinion contributor to Bloomberg.com.

Her commitment to creating inclusive spaces has been recognized with mentoring awards from American Economic Association Mentoring Program and the Sadie Collective. She received the 2021 Most Impactful Adjunct Faculty Award, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the co-founder of the Diversity Initiative for Tenure in Economics (DITE), Founder and Director of the Inclusive Peer Onsite Distance (IPOD) Mentoring Program, and Assistant Director of the American Economic Association Summer Minority Training Program (AEASMP).

Sharpe holds a B.S. in mathematics from North Carolina Wesleyan College; master’s degrees from Clark Atlanta University (applied mathematics), Stanford University (operations research), and Claremont Graduate University (economics). She completed her doctorate in economics/mathematics at Claremont Graduate University

  • A Womb’s Worth January 10, 2024 - When I heard Pope Francis called for the banning of surrogacy worldwide, I sighed. The state of surrogacy Surrogacy is not legal in Louisiana and Michigan (See Graph 1.)  The legality of surrogacy focuses primarily on the payment to the surrogate and parentage.  Lauen Danelowski examines the literature on reproductive labor.   She posits that if surrogacy were viewed as “work,” surrogates would ...
  • I Will Not Shed A Tear June 29, 2023 - This week, we anticipate the decision in the affirmative action cases Students for Fair Admissions, Inc v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina.  It has been 22 years since Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote: The Court expects that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further ...
  • Regulating Foot Pursuits February 2, 2023 - Today the Nichols family funeralized Tyre Nichols, a father, a son, an avid skateboarder, and a Black man.  The condolences and statements will pour in from all over the world, expressing sadness, grief, and outrage that the police brutally killed another Black American. Calls for police reform will again be at the forefront of discussions by advocacy groups and policymakers.  ...
  • It Is A New Year January 4, 2023 - A new year brings excitement about new beginnings – a new congress, new legislation (minimum wage increases for several states), new healthy habits, and new opportunities to advocate for a more equitable society. I am excited about our partnership with the Family Economic Mobility Division of Share Our Strength.  WISER will provide data analysis that will shift the narratives about single low-income mothers and ...
  • 365 Days To Share December 28, 2022 - Today, I’ll wrap up the portrait of the men and women in Himaja, Jerry, and my age categories with at least a bachelor’s degree.  Many of the top 5 paid occupations for women are in the medical or finance (insurance) field.   Table 1.  Median Income for Top Paid Occupations by Age Category for Women Table 2 provides the median income ...
  • Winter Solstice December 21, 2022 - Schools have closed for winter break. For many, today is the last workday before Christmas, for those who celebrate.  As promised, I continue with the portrait of the men and women in Himaja, Jerry, and my age categories with at least a bachelor’s degree.  Despite the rhetoric about the differences between the generations, the top 5 occupations are similar.   Elementary ...
  • To Be Or Not To 25 Again December 7, 2022 - Himaja’s birthday is December 12.  She’ll be 25 (Gen Z). Jerry’s birthday is 1/1; he’ll be 40 (Millenial).   I have fond memories of being 25.  Given the restriction on reproductive justice, I am relieved to have those years behind me and would not want to repeat them, even with what I know now. Would you? Today, in honor of ...
  • Much To Be Thankful For November 23, 2022 - Over inflation and thru the broken supply chains to family houses, we go.To eat turkey with fixings, chicken, mac & cheese, and pie made of sweet potatoSocial distance will be spared so hugs can be sharedWith faces unmasked, smiles won’t be impairedWe will recite our “thankful list”And break the turkey bone to make a wish.With our tummies stuffed and dishes ...
  • Senior and Poverty (Part 2) November 2, 2022 - Last week, I shared sex-disaggregated data that showed how the increase in the number of seniors in poverty affected women.  Table 1 provides the net growth in the number of seniors by race/ethnicity and gender.  Black men (14%) and White men (58%) comprise 72% of the net growth for the number of seniors in poverty.  By contrast, Asian women (7%), ...
  • Data And Methodology September 28, 2022 - Last Wednesday, September 21, was “Equal Pay Day” for Black women, which represents how many more days into this year a Black woman (in the aggregate) must work to make as much money as a White man did last year. I was invited to speak about Equal Pay Day for Black Women at an event in Milwaukee, the second most segregated city ...