MSU economist Dr. Lisa Cook to serve on Biden-Harris transition team

November 11, 2020 - Liz Schondelmayer

Michigan State University economist Dr. Lisa Cook (pictured below) has been selected to serve on President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's transition team. Dr. Cook is a professor within the Department of Economics in the College of Social Science at MSU, as well as a Professor of International Relations in the James Madison College.

The decision was announced by Biden's team on November 10. Selected team members will aid the administration in their review of certain federal agencies' policies, procedures and priorities going into 2021. 

According to the The Biden-Harris transition website, "Agency review teams are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transfer of power, and preparing for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and their cabinet to hit the ground running on Day One."

Serving as a volunteer, Dr. Cook will help review the Federal Reserve, which is the federal bank for the United States. There, she will ensure that banking is done fairly and securely, and also help review agencies such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve, the National Credit Union Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Since joining MSU in 2005, Dr. Cook has established herself internationally as a leader in the discipline of economics. An advocate for increased diversity and inclusion within the field, Dr. Cook is the second Black economist to serve on the American Economist Association board in its 130-year history. She earned her PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Dr. Cook also directed the American Economics Association Summer Program for 5 years while it was hosted at MSU. The program creates opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds to advance in the field of economics. For these reasons, back in June, Dr. Cook was recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s 19 Black Economics to Celebrate.

Learn more about Dr. Cook and her research here.