2026-27 Dr. Julian Euell Future Faculty Fellow

Lola Ojutiku was born in Lagos, Nigeria but moved to the United States as a teenager. She earned Bachelor's degrees in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Rhode Island, and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she is also completing her PhD. Ojutiku's research agenda lies at the intersection of economic history, political economy, economic development, and the economics of education. By employing a multi-modal approach that combines archival research, econometrics, spatial analysis, and other interdisciplinary frameworks, her work uncovers the long-run mechanisms through which historical forces constrain opportunity and wealth accumulation. At the same time, she explores how education serves as a critical channel for dismantling structural inequalities, both in her research and through metacognition-informed approaches to teaching. Ojutiku's dissertation, Three Essays on Colonialism and the Legacy of Institutions , explores how British colonialism altered productive and social relations in Nigeria. Through an investigation of varied dimensions—including schooling, residential segregation, and gender dynamics—at the intra-city, inter-regional, and intra-regional levels, these essays collectively demonstrate how colonial institutional frameworks established enduring disparities. Outside of academia, she enjoys reading fiction, experimenting with makeup and fashion, and obsessing over interior design.