Summer 2019 Newsletter from Economics and the Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute
Dear alumni and friends,
Another successful academic year is coming to a close, one made possible by the generosity of alumni and friends like you! Thank you for enhancing the experience of our undergraduates, supporting the rigorous studies of our graduate students, and engaging in the research of our faculty. You can read more about the highlights of this semester in the stories below.
Mark your calendars, we will be bringing the summer to a close with an event not to be missed! We are celebrating 50 years of partnership between the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank and the University of Minnesota Department of Economics that has resulted in field-shaping economic policy. In addition to an academic conference featuring prominent economists, save the date for a public panel at 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 22 featuring four former University of Minnesota faculty who changed the course of macroeconomic theory.
- Edward Prescott, Department of Economics 1980–98; 1999–2003
- Thomas Sargent, Department of Economics 1971–87
- Christopher Sims, Department of Economics 1974–90
- Neil Wallace, Department of Economics 1974–94
Thank you again for your engagement and support that make this work possible. We hope to see you on August 22!
Best,
Christopher Phelan
Professor and Chair, Department of Economics
Ellen McGrattan
Professor, Department of Economics & Director, Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute
Are frictions in the land market hindering the growth of India’s manufacturing sector? Graduate student Aradhya Sood’s research hopes to find the link between land and slow growth in large-scale manufacturing. Read “Bit by Bit”.
How do we build a retirement system that is both sustainable and inclusive? Experts Greg Mennis, Jeff Bailey, Kurt Winkelmann, and Chris Farrell discussed the current systems and what can be done to improve them at a panel event on April 23. Read "Building a Better Retirement System".
“Economics is a tool to look at public policy from a more objective view,” says Dasom Ham, an undergraduate economics major at the University of Minnesota. After three years at the University, Ham is ready to pursue a PhD in economics and influence public policy. Read "Economics as a Path to Public Policy".
Few faculty members have left behind the kind of legacy that Edward Foster has built during his tenure as the director of graduate studies and the chair of the Department of Economics. Read "Honoring Ed Foster".