NBER Health Economics Program Director Transition

From: James Poterba <poterba_at_nber.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2020 09:53:15 -0500

Dear Health Economics Program Affiliates -

With apologies to many of you who have already read the body of this
message, I am re-sending a email that I sent yesterday morning with,
inadvertently, the subject line "request for" instead of "NBER Health
Economics Program Director Transition."  I know that we all get a lot of
email, and must confess that I don't open everything I receive.  For me,
"request for" might not make it over the threshold some days, but
"Program Director Transition" would.  I am sending this message a second
time because I want to make sure that it reaches all program members.

Mike Grossman, who has led the NBER's Health Economics Program with
great distinction for more than four decades, has decided to step down
from this role at the end of the current academic year. I am incredibly
grateful to Mike for all that he has done.  He has been an outstanding
leader, selecting research on important and interesting topics to
feature at program meetings, encouraging and supporting grant
applications from program affiliates, carrying out his own high-impact
research program, and recruiting new researchers to the program.  Mike
has played a central role in defining the field of Health Economics,
both at the NBER and more broadly, throughout his long affiliation with
this organization.

I hope that you will make every effort to join me for a special
celebratory luncheon at the upcoming meeting of the Health Economics
Program, on Friday May 1 in Cambridge.  We will collectively thank Mike
for his extraordinary service to the health economics community.   In
addition, just before lunch, Mike will offer some reflections on his
involvement with the NBER and the Health Economics Program. This should
be a very special event.

In the coming weeks, I plan to reach out to a number of program members
to solicit advice on selecting the next program director. I hope that
you will not hesitate to contact me and to share your views about what
has made Mike's leadership so successful, what attributes are most
important in the next Health Economics program director, and what
directions in research activity may bear on the succession plan.  I
would also welcome your suggestions about candidates who might be well
suited to this role.

I look forward to your input, and hope to see many of you at the program
meeting in May.  Please mark your calendars!  All best wishes.

Jim Poterba
Received on Thu Jan 09 2020 - 10:21:04 EST