Chris Benner

Dr. Chris Benner is a professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the founding faculty fellow at the Institute for Social Transformation. His research examines the relationships between technological change, regional development, and the structure of economic opportunity, focusing on regional labor markets and the transformation of work and employment. His applied policy work centers on social and economic dimensions of technological change, workforce development policy, the structure, dynamics and evaluation of workforce intermediaries, and strategies for promoting regional equity. He has authored or co-authored over 100 academic papers and reports and eight books, including most recently Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles and a Just Future (2024), with Manuel Pastor.