He is a Canadian economist and Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. He completed his BA here at Queen’s University in 1978 and went on to complete a PhD degree in Economics from Princeton in 1983. He has won the John Bates Clark award and his findings have affected public policy since the 90s. Recently he won (with Richard Blundell) the 2014 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Finance and Management category for “their contributions to empirical microeconomics.”
We were really excited to talk to him about his time in Queen’s.
Why did you choose Queen’s University for your Bachelor of Arts over other Canadian universities?
I applied to Western, Queens and MacMaster. My good friend, who was my roommate for all 4 years in Kingston, wanted to go to Queens, as did my girlfriend. We visited the campus and liked it.
What was your favourite memory from going to Queen’s as an undergraduate?
I went to a few football games every year. I don’t believe I ever saw Queens win. Nevertheless, Saturdays in the fall when there was a game were very memorable.
How do you feel Queen’s has changed since you left?
I was extremely fortunate to end up as an econ major at a time when the Queens Economics department was full of exciting younger faculty members (and many great senior faculty too). The faculty and the other econ students made for a great environment. I was lucky to work on my senior thesis at the same time as Steve Poloz – we spent many hours discussing research and the idea of pursuing a PhD, and we (and other students) got a lot of encouragement from the faculty.
How did going to Queen’s shape your life?
I doubt if I would have pursued a PhD in economics if I had not gone to Queens and run into the people I met there. (Originally I entered intending to major in science, with no real idea of what to do after university).
At the time I was a student at Queens there were 3 younger faculty all with recent PhD’s from Princeton, and they suggested I apply there, and supported my application. So I surely would not have gone to Princeton.
What was one of the biggest differences you found between Queen’s and Princeton?
Princeton was (and still is) an even smaller town than Kingston, but it is pretty close to NY City, so that was very exciting.
As a grad student at Princeton, you see the children of the world’s elite in the undergrad classes, which was an eye-opening experience for me. I also meet some truly brilliant people — not just “smart” but a real notch above that.
What do you prefer Kingston winters or New Jersey winters?
Actually they are not too different. For the last 20 years, I’ve lived in Northern California, and winters here are much better!
What makes you most proud to be a Queen’s Alumni?
That is a hard question. I suppose it is the idea that students like I was (from a modest family background) can still obtain a first class education, and meet people who will go on to shape events in Canada and the world.
If you could offer current Queen’s students one piece of advice what would you tell them?
I think they should try to discover what they truly like doing, and then try to be as good at that as they can be.
Image Source: University of California, Berkely, Economics Department Faculty Directory