Rachel Marie Brooks Atkins is an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Finance. She earned a Ph.D. from The New School, an MPA from New York University, and an MGA from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research centers on racial economic inequality broadly and more specifically in the contexts of entrepreneurship, employment, innovation, and high-technology industries. 

Her work has been published in several academic journals including the Journal of Urban Economics, Small Business Economics, and the Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship. Dr. Atkins is passionate about engaging students in research and using the tools of economics to solve problems in society, the economy, and industry. She has also been featured in popular press outlets including the LA Times, Mother Jones, and the Washington Post. 

In 2020, Dr. Atkins was awarded the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Grant to start the Workshop on Racial Equity in Technology Entrepreneurship. She serves as director of the workshop which was designed to advance research at the intersection of race, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology. 

Dr. Atkins resides in New York with her husband and two sons. She enjoys rooting for Philadelphia sports teams (Go Birds!), playing tennis, and volunteering with her church.