Katherine Baicker was appointed as an associate professor of
public policy at the UCLA School of Public Affairs in July, but
before she could step into the classroom, she was presented with an
offer she could not refuse.
Baicker was nominated by President Bush in September as one of
three members of the Council of Economic Advisers, the group of
economists selected to advise the president regarding economic
policy. She was sworn in Nov. 17.
“The council provides advice on a wide range of topics. My
area is microeconomics, such as health care, taxation, labor
markets, unemployment and education,” Baicker said.
“That advice can take many forms, from taking specific
questions on the table to planning for the future.
“It’s an interesting job from a policy perspective
to look at the long run.”
Baicker earned her bachelor’s degree in economics at Yale
University, and received a doctorate in economics at Harvard in
1998.
Before coming to UCLA, she was an associate professor of
economics at Dartmouth College.
Her increased interest in health economics prompted her to serve
on the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School at the Center for
Evaluative Clinical Sciences.
While at Dartmouth, Baicker began working with the Council of
Economic Affairs, and became a senior economist on the staff in
2001.
Baicker said her interest in direct policy applications of
economics is what geared her toward such a position.
She is also currently a research associate in the public
economics program at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Baicker’s firsthand experience with the council added to a
career already filled with research, teaching and strong interests
in her field, and prepared her for a nomination as an adviser.
Right as Baicker reached the tail-end of a job search that
landed her at the School of Public Affairs, she got the phone call
informing her of her nomination.
“I was ecstatic, and excited for the opportunity,”
Baicker said.
Other UCLA faculty were just as excited.
“One of our faculty members will have been involved in
policy making at the highest possible level,” said Arleen
Leibowitz, chair of the School of Public Affairs. “That kind
of experience is incomparable. The exposure to a wide set of policy
issues that she will bring back here will be a huge asset for our
students.”
Leibowitz also addressed the issue of Baicker’s abrupt
change of direction, even though Baicker will ultimately return to
UCLA to teach in June 2007.
“We’re disappointed she won’t be on campus for
another year and a half. In the long run, it’s a kind of
investment for our students, though,” Leibowitz said.
“Kate will come back with the insight of how things actually
work.”
Backer said she looks forward to long-term personal gains from
the opportunity as well.
“What I gain here will make me a more effective
researcher,” she said.
Research is an important aspect of the CEA, as the council
organizes economic reports for the president for the annual State
of the Union address, Leibowitz said.
Even though she will not work directly with the president very
often, “I certainly enjoy the opportunity to be present at
some meetings with the president,” Baicker said.