New Director for NBER Program on Economics of Aging

From: James Poterba <poterba_at_nber.org>
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 10:15:40 -0400

Dear Members of the NBER Economics of Aging Program -

I announced earlier this year that after three decades of program
leadership, David Wise decided to retire from his many NBER
administrative roles, including that of program director, on June 30. I
hope that you will join me in thanking David for his remarkable program
leadership, which has entailed a wide range of "academic
entrepreneurship." David's tireless efforts on behalf of the research
communities in the economics of aging, health, and demography have had
an extraordinary effect not only on research activity at the NBER, but
on the broader economics profession as well. Please join me in thanking
David for his superb contributions and for his role as a provider of
professional public goods. I am collecting short letters to David from
program members and others who have benefited from his leadership. If
you have not yet written, but would like to do so, please send your
contribution to Alterra Milone (alterra_at_nber.org) by Friday, August 5.

I am very grateful to the many program members who have made time in the
last few months to talk with me about the factors that have contributed
to David's success as a program director, and about key ingredients for
a successful transition. I have learned a great deal about current
research developments through this process.

I am delighted to announce that Jonathan Skinner, the James O. Freedman
Presidential Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, and a
Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Geisel School of
Medicine at Dartmouth, has agreed to serve as the next director of the
Economics of Aging Program. Jon has been an NBER Research Associate
since 1989, and he has been one of the most active program
participants. His research spans the many different topics that come
together in the Economics of Aging program: health status, saving
behavior, the role of the public and private sectors in providing old
age security, the operation of insurance markets, and intergenerational
linkages that affect older households. I look forward to working with
Jon to build on the program's past successes and to launch new
initiatives. Please join me in welcoming him to this new role.

I look forward to seeing you next week at the Economics of Aging Summer
Institute. All best wishes.

Jim Poterba
Received on Mon Jul 18 2016 - 10:49:05 EDT