Richard Paulsen, PhD

Richard Paulsen is an assistant professor of Sport Management in the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. His research studies labor market issues in sport. Dr. Paulsen’s primary line of research looks to understand factors influencing athlete productivity, with a focus on how contracts influence incentive. Additionally his work has looked at the broader sport industry workforce in the United States. Beyond his work focused on labor market issues in sport, he also studies other entertainment industry labor markets, such as the arts. Prior to joining U-M, Dr. Paulsen held positions at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and the University of Vermont.

Dr. Paulsen’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Sport Management, European Sport Management Quarterly, Managerial and Decision Economics, and Journal of Cultural Economics, among others.

Dr. Paulsen earned his PhD in Economics from Northeastern University, his MA in Economics from Northeastern University, and his BA in Mathematics and Economics from Utica University.

Dr. Richard J. Paulsen, Assistant Professor in Sport Management in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is currently seeking a motivated Doctoral Student to work on research related to sports economics starting Fall 2024!

Dr. Paulsen is a sports economist whose research focuses on labor market issues. Dr. Paulsen has conducted research on incentives and factors affecting athlete productivity, in contexts including Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. He’s also conducted research looking at broader labor market issues affecting sport industry workers, including issues related to DEAI/DEIB, as well as work looking at other entertainment industry workers beyond sport. Dr. Paulsen received his PhD in Economics from the Northeastern University. He subsequently worked as a Lecturer of Economics at University of Vermont and then as an Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Full description.