2016 Best 40 Under 40 Professors: Amir Sufi, Booth School of Business

Amir Sufi Booth

Amir Sufi

Bruce Lindsay Professor of Economics and Public Policy

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

Amir Sufi is the Bruce Lindsay Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research concentrates on finance and macroeconomics while he is most known for his look at household debt; especially as it relates to The Great Recession. This research, which is the basis of his very popular book House of Debt: How They (and You) Caused the Great Recession and How We Can Prevent It from Happening Again, has been vastly covered by financial press and has even been presented to policy-makers at the Federal Reserve, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs, and the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Professor Sufi is widely respected as a thought leader on global economic issues. In 2015 he was named to Chicago Crain’s 40 Under 40 list and a Forbes New Money Master. In 2014 he was named one of 25 economists under 45 shaping the way we think about global economy.

Age: 39

At current institution since: 2005

Education: Ph.D. in Economics from MIT, 2005

Courses currently teaching: Cases in Financial Management; Theory of Financial Decisions

Professor you most admire: Eugene Fama

“I knew I wanted to be a b-school professor when…I realized how much more cognizant they were about how the real world works.”

“If I weren’t a b-school professor…I would be living on the beach near an ocean, reading with most of my free time.”

What professional achievement are you most proud of? Probably my book with Atif Mian, House of Debt.

What do you enjoy most about being a business school professor? The freedom to teach and conduct research on the topics I believe are most important.

What do you enjoy least about being a business school professor? Having to figure out a way to evaluate student performance, which is always difficult.

Fun fact about yourself: I grew up in Topeka, Kansas, though few would guess it.

Favorite book: Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises, by Charles Kindleberger

Favorite movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Favorite television show: Haven’t been watching much TV recently.

Favorite vacation spot: Give me a beach and an ocean and I am there.

What are your hobbies? Swimming, reading.

Twitter handle: @profsufi

“If I had my way, the business school of the future would have…more material taught on general and important patterns in the economy.”

DON’T MISS: THE COMPLETE LIST: POETS&QUANTS’ 2016 MOST OUTSTANDING B-SCHOOL PROFS UNDER 40

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