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T. William Lester

Associate Professor

San José State University

Grantees
T. William Lester

Bill Lester is an associate professor of urban and regional planning at San José State University, specializing in urban and regional economic development. His research focuses on the role of social institutions and policy interventions in reducing income inequality and promoting balanced economic growth.

He also is an expert in policy evaluation and economic impact analysis. Before joining San José State University, he spent 10 years as an associate professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lester received his Ph.D. in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley, his M.A. in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his B.A. (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in urban studies and economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Funded Research

All Academic Awards 2024 and Prior
$14,000

Inside monopsony: A mixed methods approach to understanding how labor standards shape employment practices in the restaurant industry

2014

T. William Lester’s Working Papers

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