Darrick Hamilton is the executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University. In addition, Professor Hamilton holds a primary faculty appointment in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, with courtesy appointments in the departments of economics and sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Professor Hamilton is a pioneer and internationally recognized scholar in the field of stratification economics, which fuses social science methods to examine the causes, consequences, and remedies of racial, gender, ethnic, tribal, nativity, etc. inequality in education, economic, and health outcomes. This work involves crafting and implementing innovative routes and policies that break down social hierarchy, empower people, and move society toward greater equity, inclusion, and civic participation.

Professor Hamilton was born and raised in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, and now resides in the Short North section of Columbus, Ohio. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina. He is frequently cited in the media, consults with various public officials, and serves as an adviser to or fellow with several nonprofit and think tank organizations.