Justin Marlowe

Director, Center for Municipal Finance;
Research Professor;
Harris School of Public Policy,
University of Chicago

For more information, contact:

  • Abe Chernin
  • Sara E. Gilley

or any member of our senior staff.

Education

Justin Marlowe is a prominent expert on public finance. He focuses on municipal securities markets, infrastructure finance, state and local budgeting, and financial disclosure.

An experienced expert witness, Professor Marlowe has testified on matters involving the municipal bond market; cost accounting for government services; state and local governmental accounting, taxation, and finance; and public-private partnerships (P3). He has provided testimony in federal and state cases and enforcement actions brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Professor Marlowe is a Certified Government Financial Manager and has experience with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issues.

Professor Marlowe has consulted to state and local governments and public, private, and nonprofit entities. He was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration, a congressionally chartered organization that evaluates emerging public policy and management trends. In addition, he serves as a senior fellow at the Center for Digital Government. Professor Marlowe also previously worked in local government in Michigan.

In his research, Professor Marlowe addresses issues related to municipal securities, governmental accounting, cost analysis, and fiscal policy. He has also studied the effects of climate change; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing; and investor sentiment on municipal finance. Professor Marlowe has advised technical advisory bodies such as the Brookings Institution, the GASB, the Government Finance Officers Association, and the National Academies of Science.

Professor Marlowe has authored or edited four books, as well as book chapters on topics related to financial management in the public sector. He has also authored the forthcoming Public Debt Management: Strategy and Evidence from Cambridge University Press. Professor Marlowe has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in leading municipal finance journals. He serves as the editor-in-chief of the Municipal Finance Journal (beginning 2024) and previously served as editor-in-chief for Public Budgeting & Finance. His research has been cited in U.S. and international media, and he is also a columnist for the Government Finance Review.

An award-winning educator, Professor Marlowe teaches graduate-level courses on public finance and municipal securities at the University of Chicago. Previously, he held faculty positions at the University of Washington and at the University of Kansas.

Professional Affiliations