Department of Economics: Alum News

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Class of 1976

The last academic year Richard P.F. Holt published with his co-editor Steve Pressman A New Guide to Post Keynesian Economics (Routledge, 2001). At present he's working on a new book with David Colander and Barkley Rosser, Jr. on cutting edge work in economics. Some of the economists that will be covered in the book are Rob Axtell, Herb Gintis, Bob Frank, Dick Norgaard, Brock, Deirdre McCloskey, Duncan Foley, Matt Rabin, Peyton Young, and Ken Binmore. It is argued in the book that significant cutting edge work is being done today in economics with game theory, evolutionary economics, psychology and economics and normative preferences, etc. This type of work is slowly changing the theoretical base of mainstream economics. (2002)

In January of 2001, Kathryn Shaw left the White House as she finished the year and a half she had spent there as a Member of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers. Her period of government service began with Senate confirmation hearings, which were fortunately anti-climatic, and proceeded to cover a full range of micro and macro issues. She spent much of her time working on proposals on the Hill, on issues of health care tax deductions, immigration, social security, the budget, and was quite impressed with the degree to which economic reasoning and research did shape policy proposals. In addition, as Member, she often worked on events with President Clinton, and was quite impressed with his command of the economics and politics behind all issues. Monthly meetings with Alan Greenspan also displayed the economics and the art behind monetary policy (Kathryn had worked at the Federal Reserve Board years ago). Kathryn has since returned to her position as Professor in the Business School at Carnegie Mellon University, and returned to her three kids and husband who stayed behind in Pittsburgh. (2001)