Paula Cole

Teaching Professor

  • Faculty

What I do

I am teaching faculty at DU where I regularly teach our introductory economics classes as well as courses on the economics of gender, race, caring, inequality, and education. When I am not in the classroom, I seek opportunities to build a more equitable and caring economy.

Specialization(s)

Feminist Economics, Economics of Caring, Economic Inequality

Professional Biography

Dr. Paula Cole is an economist at the University of Denver where she teaches on gender, care, and inequality. With more than 15 years of experience studying the gendered dimensions of the economy, Dr. Cole’s expertise centers on valuing caregiving in the home and the market, the gendered impact of economic policy, the feminization of poverty, and the intersections of gender, race, and class within economic lives. Paula is a passionate advocate for improving the economic lives of women from analyzing the economic impact of a paid family in Colorado, organizing women to run for public office with Colorado 50-50, or helping students to understand the value and importance of care in the economy through community engagement.

Degree(s)

  • Ph.D., Economics, Colorado State University, 2011
  • Certificate, Women's Studies, Colorado State University, 2004
  • MA, Economics, Colorado State University, 2002
  • BA, Economics, Central College, 2000

Professional Affiliations

  • Association for Institutional Economics
  • International Association of Feminist Economics
  • Association for Evolutionary Economics

Media Sources

Key Projects

  • Expert Analysis for Potential Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

Presentations

Cole, P. (2021). Radical Feminist Institutionalism. Association for Institutional Thought. Online.
Greenfield, J., Cole, P., Reichman, N., & Galgiani, H. (2020). The Promise of Family Leave in Colorado. Annual Meeting. Washington, DC: Society for Social Work and Research.
Cole, P. (2016). Carework in the College Classroom: Overworked, Underpaid, Undertrained. AFIT-WSSA. Reno, Nevada: Western Social Science Association.
Cole, P. (2016). Did I Shave My Legs For This? Navigating, Conforming To, and Challenging The Rules of Markets and Men at Work and Home. AFEE-ASSA. San Francisco, California: American Economic Association.