Paul Zak

Paul J. Zak is one of university’s most popular teachers, and his research is far ranging. Zak, who joined the CGU faculty in 1995, is an associate professor of economics and chair of the economics department. He is also the founding director of CGU’s Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, representing a field of research that he helped pioneer. His current work examines the neurophysiology of trust and modes of social cognition, as well as the neural substrates of choice in risky environments.  Much of his previous research focused on the role of trust in economic development, where he found that countries with high levels of interpersonal trust thrive economically, while those with low levels of trust fail to prosper. Zak serves as a popular source to the media on cognitive neuroscience and economics, and is quoted frequently in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

Zak serves as an adjunct professor of neurology at Loma Linda University and a senior researcher at UCLA’s California Social Science Experimental Laboratory. His second book, Monetary Stability and Economic Growth was recently published. Zak received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and he earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University.