Marla Ripoll was named interim dean of the School of Public and International Affairs

Marla Ripoll, a professor in the Department of Economics, has been selected to serve as interim dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), effective at the start of the fall 2026 semester.

Along with her role in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Ripoll is a core faculty member in both the Center for Latin American Studies and the Global Studies program. She previously served as chair of the Department of Economics and director of graduate studies. Ripoll received the Tina and David Bellet Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award in 2004 and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2009.

A recognized leader in her field, Ripoll serves as associate editor of the Journal of Macroeconomics, is a member of the advisory board of the Carnegie-Rochester-NYU Conference, and contributes to both the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Group and the Economics Research Network of the Central Bank of Colombia.

Her research bridges macroeconomics, development economics and demographics. In development economics, she studies what drives cross-country differences in schooling, fertility and life expectancy, along with how international trade shapes productivity and economic outcomes. Her demographic research covers fertility choice, investment in children, intergenerational transfers, social mobility and the economic value of life. Her work has appeared in leading journals, including the Review of Economic Studies, the Journal of Monetary Economics, the International Economic Review, the Economic Journal, and the Review of Economics and Statistics.

Marla earned her Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Colombia and her PhD from the University of Rochester.

“I thank Marla for her willingness to provide thoughtful and steady leadership during this interim period, and I look forward to working with her as we continue to support SPIA’s important role within the University,” Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joe McCarthy said in a July 31 announcement.

McCarthy also shared plans to name and charge a working group composed of faculty, staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders to assess the school’s strengths and opportunities and to develop recommendations to help inform its future direction.