On a recent segment from National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, Professor of Economics Amanda Bayer discussed how a lack of gender parity is hurting the field of economics.

“As we try to develop knowledge for the use of policymakers and as we try to develop specific policies, we’re hindered by the lack of diversity in our ranks,” says Bayer, whose research shows that about half as many women earn economics Ph.D.s as their male counterparts. The numbers aren’t improving. 

Bayer has worked much of her career to address diversity in economics. She has published papers on the issue, served on the American Economic Association’s Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession, and co-organized the inaugural National Summit on Diversity in the Economics Profession with the Federal Reserve. She is also the creator and editor of Diversifying Economic Quality, a widely read online resource that promotes inclusive, innovative, and evidence-based teaching practices in economics. Last month, she partnered with the central bank on a new website that gives U.S. universities a visual scorecard on diversity at the undergraduate level, where she says the problem often begins.

Listen to the full segment: