Introducing Economics Unpacked

New Econ Resources

Earlier this year, we introduced the Decode Econ Educator Network. It has been rewarding and inspiring to work with this group of passionate educators. One of my personal goals is to facilitate the development of new resources, help others grow their efforts, and support good work.

Today, I am introducing you to Economics Unpacked, a project by Dr. Mallika Pung. Here is a summary of the project in her own words:

I'm launching Economics Unpacked, a new section of gourmeteconomist.com dedicated to translating high-impact academic research in economics for general audiences.

The papers economists publish in journals like the American Economic Review and the Quarterly Journal of Economics contain some of the most rigorous, consequential findings about how the world works. Most people never see them.

I want to change that. My goals for this series:
• Make difficult research digestible
• Get people genuinely excited about what economists study
• Help general audiences understand the forces shaping their lives
• Open the field to people who don't yet know economics is for them
• Give the next generation of economists a reason to stay curious

The first post covers the Opportunity Atlas (Chetty et al., AER 2026), a study of 20.5 million children that maps how the specific neighborhood where a child grows up shapes their adult earnings, incarceration rates, and life outcomes.

Two neighborhoods, 2.3 miles apart in Los Angeles. Same race, same parental income. Vastly different futures.

Read it here:

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https://www.gourmeteconomist.com

Sample Slides

Our goal is to partner with Dr. Pung to increase awareness of her work and to make economics more accessible to readers and educators. Here are some sample images from her slides

Visit her website for the full deck!

About Dr. Pung

I’m a labor economist with a Ph.D. from Clemson University and over a decade of experience spanning state and federal government and academia. I currently work at the intersection of labor economics and federal policy. Previously, I served as Chief Economist at the New Mexico Department of Transportation, where I led revenue forecasting, advised on tax policy, and presented analysis to state legislative committees. Earlier in my career, I worked on international trade and development policy in India.

My research focuses on the labor market consequences of career displacement and trade agreements. On the teaching side, I serve as a lecturer and faculty coordinator for the MBA program at Rice University, and teach economics across several other institutions, including the University of Louisville and the University of New Mexico-Valencia.

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