University of Chicago Economist Jens Ludwig on Reducing Gun Violence in Chicago

Jens Ludwig

Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago and Pritzker director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, which he helped found 15 years ago to work closely with the public sector to help solve major social problems like gun violence. His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been cited in national news outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR and PBS News Hour. He is a non-resident senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institute, a member of the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Law and Justice, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and author of “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence” (University of Chicago Press, 2025).