Ufuk Akcigit served as the Academic Lead for the World Development Report 2024. He is also the Arnold C. Harberger Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on macroeconomics, economic growth, firm dynamics, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is also widely published in the top economic journals. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.