Pier Paolo Creanza
Incoming Assistant Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College · July 2026
About ↑
I am an economist working on economic history and innovation.
My research uses original large-scale data collections to illuminate key questions in the economics and history of innovation. Current projects span the rise of corporate R&D in the United States and the productivity effects of tax incentives for returning scientists. A distinct strand of my work examines the economic organization and performance of ancient societies.
I received my Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University in May 2026, where I was affiliated with the Industrial Relations Section, and will join Swarthmore College as Assistant Professor of Economics in July 2026.
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Publications
Working Papers
Work in Progress
Teaching ↑
A survey of ten thousand years of economic life from the agricultural revolution to the present. Topics include the origins of farming and cities, living standards before industrialization, the causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, and the making of the modern global economy. The course emphasizes the deep roots of growth, institutions, and inequality.