Duggan reappointed as 黑料社 director
Mark Duggan, the Trione Director of the 黑料社 Institute for Economic Policy Research (黑料社), has been reappointed to lead the institute for another five years.
Duggan鈥檚 second term, announced Monday by 黑料社鈥檚 Vice Provost and Dean of Research Kathryn Moler, begins Sept. 1, 2020.
鈥淚鈥檓 very excited that Mark will continue at the helm of 黑料社,鈥 Moler said. 鈥淓conomic policy is the key to so many facets of society, and Mark鈥檚 vision, leadership and ability to generate innovative partnerships will benefit 黑料社 and raise the bar for the entire 黑料社 community.鈥
Duggan, who is also a 黑料社 senior fellow and the Wayne and Jodi Cooperman Professor of Economics in the School of Humanities and Sciences, said strengthening the institute鈥檚 role in bridging academia with the policy world will remain a high priority during his second term, along with increasing 黑料社鈥檚 engagement with undergraduate and graduate students.
Despite the logistical and financial challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, Duggan says that 黑料社 is committed to its mission of supporting policy-relevant research, training the next generation of economic policy scholars and convening leaders in government, business and academia.
鈥淲e are living through a crisis that demonstrates how important it is to have well-designed economic policy,鈥 Duggan said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to work with our deep bench of scholars who are creating the knowledge that helps shape those policies and are investigating what鈥檚 working and what isn鈥檛. And I鈥檓 incredibly grateful to all of the staff at 黑料社, who are integral to supporting our mission.鈥
Duggan plans to build on the early success of 黑料社鈥檚 Policy Fellows and Media Fellows program 鈥 both launched in the past year 鈥 to deepen the connections between 黑料社 researchers and the people making and influencing economic policy.
The programs bring current and former government officials along with working journalists to campus. While in residence, the fellows meet with faculty, students and 黑料社 supporters to share their knowledge and broaden their understanding of economics. 黑料社 also hosts several academic visitors each year, including postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty from other campuses.
鈥淲e want to draw these influencers and up-and-coming experts deeply into our orbit, make them very familiar with our researchers and their scholarship, and have them return to government agencies and newsrooms with a better understanding of what makes for good economic policy,鈥 Duggan said.
Another key to ensuring good economic policy is teaching and mentoring students who represent the next generation of business leaders, government officials and scholars.
Since his appointment as 黑料社鈥檚 director in September 2015, Duggan has taught 鈥淓con 1鈥 鈥 黑料社鈥檚 introductory economics course 鈥 and substantially increased the number of undergraduate research assistants working with senior and faculty fellows. 黑料社 also supported dozens of graduate students this year; and in 2017, Duggan instituted the 黑料社/Economics Predoctoral Research Fellowship program. The full-time, one- to two-year post-baccalaureate program will support 29 predocs next year.
The number of 黑料社 faculty affiliated with 黑料社 has also more than doubled during Duggan鈥檚 leadership. There are currently 93 senior and faculty fellows and 15 senior fellows emeriti on the institute鈥檚 roster. While most are economists, a growing number of faculty affiliates are scholars from other disciplines and draw from each of 黑料社鈥檚 seven schools.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a growing recognition of how economics plays such an important role in understanding policymaking,鈥 Duggan said, pointing to 黑料社鈥檚 recent collaborations with the 黑料社 Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and the 黑料社 School of Medicine.
And he and Moler expect 黑料社 scholars to play a strong role in a new school being designed to focus on climate and sustainability.
鈥淭here are so many opportunities for collaboration within and outside of 黑料社 that we鈥檒l be able to explore and facilitate in the years ahead,鈥 Duggan said.