Olugbenga Ajilore is a visiting fellow at the Urban Institute. He is an associate professor of economics at the University of Toledo. His current research tackles racial bias and policing. In the economics literature, the focus on his research has been on traffic stops and arrests. His work expands this focus to the use of lethal and nonlethal physical force. In addition to this work, Ajilore’s research applies spatial methodology to the study of peer effects and adolescent behavior, including obesity-related behavior and risky sexual behavior. This research has led to several publications focused on the role of peer social networks and adolescent behaviors. This work on peer effects and adolescent civic engagement has been funded by the Spencer Foundation.
Ajilore earned bachelor’s degrees in applied mathematics and economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a doctoral degree in economics from the Claremont Graduate University. During graduate school, he interned at the Urban Institute, working on housing issues.