Franklin and Betty Barr Professor of Economics Amanda Bayer was recently named to the executive committee of the American Economic Association (AEA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, scholarly association dedicated to the discussion and publication of economics research.

Bayer breaks the mold as only the second AEA executive committee member to come from a liberal arts college; in the organization's 78-year history, two-thirds of AEA executive committee members have been faculty members at 10 institutions, a group that includes Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and MIT. Bayer hopes to bring fresh and invigorating perspectives to the organization.

"I am proud of liberal arts college economists' ability to span subfields and integrate technical analyses into a larger picture," Bayer says. "I am also especially grateful for the opportunity to think through important economic issues with our amazing liberal arts students."

Bayer, the current chair of the economics department, has worked for much of her career to address diversity in the field. She co-organized the inaugural National Summit on Diversity in the Economics Profession with the Federal Reserve in 2015 and is also the creator and editor of Diversifying Economic Quality, a widely read online resource that promotes inclusive, effective, evidence-based teaching practices in economics.

In her role on the executive committee, Bayer will help guide association policies, funds, and honors to support the mission of the AEA and will serve as chair of the Advisory Committee on Editorial Appointments in 2024. 

"The election is truly an honor, and it is particularly gratifying to know that my past work is recognized and valued," she says. "But the honor also means I have more work to do, and a responsibility to continue to guide economics to be more innovative, inclusive, and diverse."