Gigi Foster

Gigi Foster is a U.S. born academic and economist. She is currently a professor of economics at the University of New South Wales.

She regularly appears in the Australian media on the topic of economics, having been a panellist on discussion television show Q&A and host of a radio show on the ABC.

Education

Foster received a Bachelor of Arts (Ethics, Politics, and Economics) from Yale University, and completed a PhD in economics at the University of Maryland.

Career

Podcast

Foster hosts The Economists on the ABC with Australian economics journalist Peter Martin.

COVID-19

Foster attracted criticism over her stance to Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, she criticised the COVID Zero-centred approach adopted by Victoria and other jurisdictions within Australia, believing that the costs to the economy outweighed the potential benefits of reducing case numbers. Her then-employer the University of New South Wales distanced themselves from her comments which were televised during the show Q&A.

Accomplishments

Gigi Foster was named Young Economist of The Year for 2019 by the Economics Society of Australia.

Publications

• Coelli, M., Foster, G. and Leigh, A. (2018), Do School Principals Respond to Increased Public Scrutiny? New Survey Evidence from Australia. Econ Rec, 94: 73–101. doi.org/10.1111/1475-4932.12400
• Foster G, 2019, Biophysical measurement in experimental social science research: Theory and practice, doi.org/10.1016/C2016-0-04236-5
• Frijters P; Foster G, 2013, An Economic Theory of Greed, Love, Groups, and Networks, Cambridge University Press, doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139207041
• Foster G, 2019, 'Conclusion', in Biophysical Measurement in Experimental Social Science Research: Theory and Practice, pp. 267 – 277, doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813092-6.00010-1
• Foster G; Frijters P, 2017, 'Behavioral Political Economy', in Routledge Handbook of Behavioral Economics, Routledge, pp. 348 – 364, doi.org/10.4324/9781315743479
• Kalenkoski CM; Foster G, 2016, 'Introduction: The Economics of Multitasking', in The Economics of Multitasking, Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 1 – 5, doi.org/10.1057/9781137381446_1
• Foster G, 2016, 'Grading Standards in Higher Education: Trends, Context, and Prognosis', in Bretag T (ed.), Handbook of Academic Integrity, Springer, pp. 307 – 324, doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-098-8_48
• Kalenkoski CM; Foster G, 2016, 'Discussion: The economics of multitasking', in Kalenkoski C; Foster G (ed.), The Economics of Multitasking, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 203 – 208, doi.org/10.1057/9781137381446
• Foster G, 2015, 'Experimental Economics', in Wright J (ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, Elsevier, pp. 546 – 551, doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.71052-X
• Foster G, 2015, 'Grading Standards in Higher Education: Trends, Context, and Prognosis', Handbook of Academic Integrity, Springer Singapore, pp. 1 – 14, doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-079-7_48-2
• Frijters P; Foster G, 'Is it rational to be in love?', in, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 205 – 232, doi.org/10.4337/9781782549598.00020