Deborah Rho

Associate Professor
University of St. Thomas

Deborah Rho is an Associate Professor of economics at the University of St. Thomas. Her primary research interests are economics of discrimination, economics of immigration, and labor economics.  She has researched inequality and discrimination in the labor market, police interactions, and the housing market. Dr. Rho and co-PI Marina Mileo Gorzig have written multiple papers using field experiments that investigate discrimination against African Americans and refugees.  Recent work examines discrimination in the rental housing market and the impact of ban the box policies. 

Dr. Rho holds a PhD in economics from Duke University and a BS in economics and mathematics from the University of Southern California.

  • Numerous cities in the United States have passed "ban the box" policies that restrict the use of background checks in the housing application process. However, previous research has found that ban the box policies for employment applications increase discrimination against young Black and Latino men. In this project, the research team will examine the impact of background checks in the housing application process, asking two questions.

    January 14, 2021