Michael Geruso, associate professor of economics at The University of Texas at Austin, was recently appointed to a one-year term as a senior economist on the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) in the Biden administration. Established by Congress in 1946, the CEA advises the president on a wide range of economic policy issues based on data, research, and evidence. Geruso’s tenure on the council began in September and will run through fall 2024.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to apply my training and experience as an economist to timely issues of public policy,” Geruso says. “I’m also excited at the prospect of integrating this White House experience into my future economics courses at UT. Long ago, as a student myself, I had a professor who had served on the CEA. It was fun and interesting to see how he connected the dots between economic principles and policy practice. I hope my future students will get to experience that same engagement and interest.”
A member of UT’s Department of Economics since 2014, Geruso’s scholarship focuses on issues in Medicare and Medicaid payment and regulation, the environmental determinants of health in the developing world, and economic demography. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and holds a BS in mechanical engineering, a BA in philosophy, and a BA in political science from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining UT, Geruso was appointed as a Robert Wood Johnson postdoctoral scholar at Harvard University. He is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and served on the board of the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics, a non-profit focused on the health and well-being of children in India. He is also a celebrated teacher and the 2020 recipient of the Silver Spurs Centennial Teaching Fellowship.
“Dr. Geruso’s expertise has long been of great value to his department and to our college, and we’re thrilled to see the value of his work and thought recognized by the Council of Economic Advisers,” said Ann Stevens, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin. “I’m excited to see what he will accomplish in his new role and know that this experience will greatly benefit Dr. Geruso, his students and colleagues, and our wider community.”
