Yale SOM Picks Chicago Economist To Succeed Ted Snyder

University of Chicago labor economist Kerwin Charles

A SPARSE LINKIN PROFILE

Early on in his career, he revealed, he felt an additional burden. “To be a successful scholar one has to fail a lot,” he told the audience. “So this thing works in reverse as well in the sense that I can be hyper-sensitive to how a slip of mine, a failure to achieve something, a screwing up could affect somebody behind me. And to carry that burden as an assistant professor or a graduate student is just a terrible thing.”

A member of the National Bureau of Economic Research since 2002 and winner of multiple teaching awards, Charles has distinguished himself both as a leading scholar in labor economics and applied microeconomics and as a dedicated educator. He is an elected Fellow of the Society of Labor Economics, serves on the boards of NORC and of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and is a member of the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Labor Economics and the International Editorial Board of Industrial and Labor Relations Review.

Charles’ LinkedIn profile is sparse, failing to detail any of his administrative roles. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami in 1989, picked up a master’s from Cornell University in 1993, and three years later, earned his Ph.D. from Cornell in 1996. Then, Charles joined the University of Michigan as a faculty member in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Department of Economics. In 2005, he moved to the University of Chicago and its Harris School.

“Professor Charles is committed to sharing his knowledge with the next generation of economists, social scientists, and business leaders,” added Salovey in his statement. “He has mentored scores of individuals who have gone on to successful careers in universities and colleges and in the public and private sectors. A gifted orator and writer, he has inspired young scholars to take joy in informed argument, to make a habit of being skeptical, and to pursue the truth through rigorous analysis of the available evidence.”

‘HE IS WIDELY ADMIRED FOR HIS STRONG PROGRAM OF RESEARCH’

The news release announcing Charles’ appointment includes statements of support from one of the school’s most prominent alums as well as a senior trustee of the university’s board of trustees. “Kerwin is not only a preeminent scholar and distinguished educator, but he is also a respected leader who can clearly articulate a vision and inspire colleagues and students alike to realize a shared mission,” said Catharine (Cappy) Bond Hill, senior trustee of the Yale board of trustees. “He is widely admired for his strong program of research and his willingness to tackle difficult challenges—in economics and in the community. I am thrilled that he will be leading SOM, and I look forward to seeing him build on all that Ted (current SOM Dean Edward A. Snyder) has accomplished and create new avenues to ‘educate leaders for business and society.’”

Indra Nooyi, former PepsiCo CEO who graduated from SOM in 1980 with a master’s degree in public and private management, the predecessor credential to the MBA which SOM began offering in 1999, also served as co-chair of a 16-member consultative committee of SOM alums on the dean search. “To me, SOM has always represented the idea that businesses can accomplish more when leaders develop a deep understanding of the points of intersection between business and society,” said Nooyi in a statement. “His research interests in labor economics, economic inequality, and racial and gender discrimination show his willingness to take on the most daunting and meaningful challenges. His demonstrated commitment to helping others reach their potential through his teaching and mentorship show that he understands how to make a community and an organization stronger.”

Salovey gave thanks to Snyder for his service. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Ted Snyder for his exemplary leadership as dean during the past eight years. There will be other opportunities to express our appreciation to Ted; in the meantime, I look forward to the continuation of his legacy of academic excellence and global influence under Professor Charles’s tenure in the deanship.” Salovey said.

SOM’s full-time MBA program is ranked 11th best in the U.S. by Poets&Quantswith the school’s highest rank of eighth place among U.S. institutions achieved on the latest Financial Times list and its lowest rank of 13th from Forbes magazine. Yale’s business school had an operating budget of $137 million in fiscal 2018 and has generated operating surpluses in the last six years totaling $11 million. As of June, 2017, the market value of SOM’s endowment was $797 million.

DON’T MISS: YALE SOM DEAN ‘TED’ SNYDER TO CALL IT QUITS or MEET YALE SOM’S CLASS OF 2020

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