Zack's research interests lie at the intersection of macroeconomics, industrial organization, and international trade. His work focuses on how firm behavior, market structure, and global production arrangements influence investment dynamics and value distribution. One line of his current research explores how upstream concentration, profit distribution, and global value chain positioning shape investment dynamics across industries. This work focuses on the ways in which supply chain structure, market power, and functional specialization influence capital allocation and value capture in both domestic and international contexts. Zack is also engaged in a project on the ‘smile curve' regarding functional upgrading within global value chains. This research quantifies the returns to intangible capital and examines how shifts toward branding, marketing, and design allow firms in advanced economies to capture a disproportionate share of value-added.
In addition to his research, Zack is committed to innovative and inclusive pedagogy. He is especially interested in teaching methods that connect economic theory to real-world business decision-making, and in helping students apply macroeconomic and structural insights to firm strategy, entrepreneurship, and policy evaluation.
Zack Knauss received a Ph.D. in Economics from The New School for Social Research in 2024, an M.S. in Economics from the same institution in 2019, and a B.A. in History from Temple University in 2011.
