Graduate Connection
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Graduate Connection Vol. 4 No. 2 December 1998 INSIDE Happy Holidays! Asher Wolinsky has been named the Alfred W. Chase Professor of Business From the Department Chair 1 Institutions. Teaching Matters 2 The faculty and staff extend their best Burt Weisbrod has been named to the From the Director of wishes for a happy holiday season. The National Advisory Research Resources Graduate Studies 4 University will be officially closed on Council of the National Institutes of From the Graduate Thursday December 24, Friday 25, Health. Joe Altonji was recently Secretary's Office 5 Thursday 31, and Friday January 1. The appointed to the Committee on National Funding 5 winter quarter commences on Monday Statistics of the National Research Council. Notes 6 January 4. Chuck Manski was appointed Chair of a new National Research Council Committee on Data and Research for Policy on Illegal From the Department Drugs. Joel Mokyr has been elected to the Chair . executive committee of NBER. Bruce Meyer has been reappointed to the editorial board of the Journal of Public Robert Eisner (1922-1998) Economics, and Joe Ferrie serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Economic Robert Eisner, Kenan Emeritus History. Dale Mortensen is the founding Professor of Economics, passed away on editor of the new Review of Economic November 25. Bob was a member of this Dynamics. Martin Eichenbaum has been department since 1952, and former elected to be a fellow of the Econometric president of the American Economic Society. In addition he has become an Association. While he retired from associate editor of the Journal of Monetary graduate teaching in 1991, he continued to Economics, the Review of Economic work on issues of national importance and Dynamics, and the Journal of was one of our most distinguished, active, Macroeconomics. and visible members. His death is a major loss to us all. The Staff changes University will be organizing a memorial service early in the new year. I will inform you when I know the date. Paula Nielsen has left the University. Lavonne Payne has moved into room 124, and Scott Zacher has replaced her as Faculty changes Undergraduate Secretary. We have interviewed for a new staff member for our During the winter quarter Gillian main office. We should be able to Hutchinson will be visiting with us. She announce the successful candidate's name is a 1982 doctoral graduate of this and starting date soon. In the interim, Department, and latterly was a faculty thanks to Grecca Walker who has worked member at Queen Mary College of the as a substitute in our main office during the University of London. She is a labor fall. economist, and will be teaching in our Congratulations to Deidra Morgan, an Graduate Connection undergraduate and MMSS programs. Economics staff member who works in the Department of Economics/NU David Haddock who is a faculty member Math Center, on ten years of service to at the NU Law School has had an office in NU. the Department for some time. Starting from this winter quarter he will be teaching Distinguished Teaching Assistants Published 3 times a year by: our revived undergraduate Law and Economics course. David can be found in room 208 (1-8222). At the start-of-year buffet on October 7, Department of Economics I was pleased to award the Distinguished Northwestern University Teaching Assistant Awards for 1997-98. 2003 Sheridan Road Recent honors The winners of a certificate and a year's Evanston, IL 60208-2600 subscription to Econometrica were Two faculty members have received Michelle Zaharchuk, Una Okonkwo (both Ian Savage, editor named chairs. Michael Whinston has re-awards), Paulo Santiago, Henry Siu, Jim 847-491-8241 been named the Robert and Emily King Sullivan, Craig Peters, Federico Ciliberto, [email protected] Professor of Business Institutions, and Randal Watson and Ben Chabot. Chuck December 1998 Graduate Connection O 2 Moul and Jim Stewart were also selected Listed below are the funding source and descriptions of information and knowledge, as Teaching Assistant Fellows, and did an topic of new or extended grants. sorting, games of incomplete information exemplary job of leading the training with applications to bidding, bargaining sessions for new Economics and Math Joe Altonji and Chris Taber (NICHD, the and signaling, implementation and T.A.s in September. effectiveness of Catholic schools and mechanism design, and reputation. single sex schools) Departmental funding Eddie Dekel-Tabak (NSF, sequential voting) Economics D16-2 The Graduate School and WCAS have Jeffrey Ely (NSF, Nash equilibrium and Advanced Macroeconomics agreed to provide funding for additional the evolution of preferences) Professor Bassetto TAships in 1998/99 and 1999/00 to cover Joe Ferrie (NSF, longitudinal micro data TTh 1-3 132 AAH the "bulge" in qualified graduate students for the study of long-range changes in in years 2 through 4. In the near future, we economic mobility in the U.S. 1850- This course will study some applications will be issuing current TAs with revised 1990) of game theory to macroeconomics. The contracts extending your funding through Robert Gordon (NSF, problems in the main topic is the literature on time the spring quarter. We remain committed measurement of prices and productivity) consistency and sustainable plans, focusing to funding students who meet our Bruce Meyer (NSF, the effect of welfare both on its tools and on its issues. published funding guidelines and who and taxes) Tools: determination of an optimal perform satisfactorily in the classroom. Leon Moses (Govt of Panama, pricing of time-consistent policy as a fixed-point the Panama Canal) problem; Abreu, Pierce and Stacchetti's Building expansion Robert Porter (NSF, empirical studies of algorithm; recent extensions. bidding and entry) Issues: sustainability of sovereign debt Some more details have become Ian Savage (U.S. DOT, economics of and fiscal policy; international capital available on the expansion of Andersen transportation safety) flows; time-consistent monetary policy and Hall. As previously announced our new Asher Wolinsky (NSF, topics in the inflation. space will consist of the existing third floor organization of firms and markets) We may also devote some time to of Andersen, the space occupied by KGSM papers that use political economy in Alumni Relations in the connector building recursive general equilibrium problems to with Leverone, plus the third floor of a new Teaching Matters . address the same issues. Evaluation will "L" shaped addition that will be built above be based on class presentation of a paper our existing space on the first floor and will Schedule change from the literature and a final exam; or extend east past Coon Forum. The addition writing a paper. The reading list will contain selected readings from recent will feature a large bright seminar/class Alan Taylor's D98 course scheduled for room which will seat 60. papers and a yet to be published book by the spring has been cancelled. Students Thomas J. Sargent and Lars Ljungqvist. Current plans are that we will be able to wishing to complete their history provide carrel and office space to 65 requirement this year are directed to graduate students, as opposed to the current Professor Ferrie's American Economic 50. The new carrel rooms will generally Economics D20-1 History course (D20-1) which is offering in American Economic History have windows. Our existing computer the coming winter quarter. room will also be extended to the south. Professor Ferrie TTh 11-1 132 AAH Construction will start in the summer of Start of winter quarter 1999, although it is currently unclear whether it will be at the start or the end of The course examines several topics in the summer. The new and reconfigured The start of winter quarter overlaps with the economic history of the United States. space will be available in December 2000. the American Economic Association The first goal of the course is to make During the intervening 18 months, our annual meetings in New York. The only students aware of research on long-term north facing offices on floors 2 and 3 plus consequent change in schedule that we are factors in the development of the American the first floor space will be closed. We aware of is that Professor Matzkin's D80-2 economy that are often overlooked in the will have to move some faculty plus our class will have its first meeting on contemporary focus of other courses: the administrative offices into currently Thursday, January 7. It is possible that rise of institutions, the appearance of graduate student space on floors 2 and 3. some other graduate courses may not meet markets for labor and capital, the growth The University has promised us space in on Monday or Tuesday of the first week of and health of the population, the the Cresap wing of Swift Hall for graduate the quarter, so look out for announcements. development of new technologies, the student offices. Planning for the temporary distribution of income and wealth, and the relocation is only in an early phase. I Course descriptions - winter 98/99 changing role of the government in the should be able to let you know more details economy. as they emerge over the coming months. Economics D14-1 The second goal is to familiarize Economics of Information students with the methods and materials of New and renewed faculty research Professor Wolinsky economic history. The course will require MW 9-11 132 AAH extensive input from the students, as the grants latter goal cannot be achieved without The course will survey central topics in considerable hands-on experience. The A large number of Northwestern faculty the economics of information. Among the emphasis is on students' participation in members are supported by research grants.