Amanda Michaud (PhD '12) joins White House Council of Economic Advisers as senior economist

Amanda Michaud
Photo courtesy of Lucy Hawthorne for the Minneapolis Fed

University of Minnesota alumna Amanda Michaud (PhD '12, economics) has been named senior economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

The Council was established by Congress in 1946 as an agency within the Executive Office of the President. The Council "is charged with offering the President objective economic advice on the formulation of both domestic and international economic policy. The Council bases its recommendations and analysis on economic research and empirical evidence, using the best data available to support the President in setting our nation's economic policy."

Michaud is a macroeconomist with interests in labor economics, international macro, quantitative and applied theory. Her experience includes research roles at the regional Federal Reserve Banks in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Cleveland, Kansas City, and St. Louis, as well as the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has also held academic roles at Indiana University and the University of Western Ontario.

"As a PhD student at Minnesota, I always
felt like I was a valued part of something
much bigger than myself."

Reflecting on her time at the University of Minnesota, Michaud shared, "As a PhD student at Minnesota, I always felt like I was a valued part of something much bigger than myself. The Minnesota community is defined not only by the faculty and students, but also visitors and alumni. Everybody was invited to the conversation, out of what I viewed to be the belief that there is something to learn from everybody."

When asked about her preparation for her new role at the CEA, she reflected on her graduate school years. "I was at Minnesota during the depths of the financial crisis. I remember studying rigorous foundations of economic theory at the U in the morning and heading over to the Fed in the afternoon to see those foundations applied with urgency and duty to the national crisis. I keep that experience close to heart and will strive to use the rigor of economic science to improve policy as we face the current crisis."

When sharing her announcement on Twitter and later in conversation for this interview, Michaud emphasized her commitment to listening and learning from fellow economists, relying on the broader community to support the non-partisan mission of the CEA. "I've prepared [for this role] by chatting with dozens of economists about the big ideas from their research," she said. "I'm excited to consult with the Minnesota community going forward. We all hope our research can move the needle.

The Department of Economics and Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute maintain a strong commitment to training our economists to apply their expertise to important current events and issues. We are proud that our alumni, like Amanda, are following in the footsteps of Walter Heller (who served as chair of President Kennedy's Council of Economic Advisers) and helping to improve the lives of others with informed policy recommendations.

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