Today Dr. Shulman turned the page on his ten years as department chair. He has served us well.
“Some or even most of you have heard by now that I will finish as department chair when I complete my second term on June 30. Alex Bernasek will replace me. I am grateful to Alex and confident that she will prove to be a good leader for the department. Anita will replace her as Coordinator of Graduate Studies. On top of all that, Jenifer will retire in September. Next semester a new team will take the helm, marking a pivotal change for the department.
Our graduate program has prospered over the past ten years. The faculty has worked consistently to improve its academic content & structure. We have put more resources into the program, creating graduate student scholarships, offering online & classroom teaching opportunities & supporting conference travel. Funded research opportunities have significantly grown. We have not only survived, we have thrived as one of the few genuinely heterodox departments in the country. We offer our students a unique mix of intellectual perspectives & applied skills. Our job placement record is impressive & many of our students have gone on to successful careers. I am proud of what all of us have accomplished together.
As for my plans, I look forward to contributing to our teaching programs in some new ways, including playing a more active role in the principles system. I also hope to focus more on my role as the research director of the Center for the Study of Academic Labor. Come see me if you are interested in academic labor markets & the economics of higher education. Whatever your research interests, I would be glad to serve on dissertation committees, & to help you in whatever ways that I can.”
Best wishes,
Steven