Naci Mocan is the Ourso Distinguished Chair of Economics at Louisiana State University. He is also a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Research Fellow of the IZA. Prior to joining the Economics Department of the Louisiana State University in 2007, Dr. Mocan was a Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Research on Economic and Social Policy at University of Colorado at Denver.

Dr. Mocan’s research focuses on the production of health, the determinants of criminal activity and issues in law and economics, among other topics. His current research investigates the interplay between culture, institutions, emotions, and economic behavior.

Dr. Mocan’s research has been published in various academic journals including the American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Journal of Law and Economics, The Economic Journal, Journal of Legal Studies, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Human Resources, and others.

Dr. Mocan has served as a consultant for public and private institutions, including the U.S. Department of Justice, RAND Corporation, New York City Independent Budget Office, The Governor’s Office of the State of Colorado, and the Ministry of Employment and Workforce Development of Canada. He is presently a member of the Louisiana Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.


He joined IZA as a Research Fellow in February 2010.