Karen Dynan joins Equitable Growth Steering Committee

Washington, D.C.—Karen Dynan, a former assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy and current Harvard University economics professor, has joined the Washington Center for Equitable Growth’s Steering Committee, the organization announced today.

Dynan is professor of the practice of economics at Harvard. During her tenure at the Treasury Department, from 2014 to 2017, she was responsible for leading the analysis of economic conditions and economic policy development. She was also the department’s chief economist. Dynan also served as vice president and co-director of the economic studies program at The Brookings Institution and as a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. For 17 years, she was on the staff of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. At Harvard, Dynan teaches in the economics department, as well as the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is a nonprofit research and grantmaking organization dedicated to advancing evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote strong, stable, and broad-based economic growth. Equitable Growth works to build a bridge between academics and policymakers to ensure that research on equitable growth and inequality is relevant, accessible, and informative to the policymaking process. Its Steering Committee, which comprises leading economists and senior policymakers, provides guidance and approves the overall direction for the organization.

“One of the most important questions facing researchers and policymakers is how macroeconomic policy influences both economic growth and economic inequality and well-being,” said Equitable Growth Executive Director and Chief Economist Heather Boushey. “That’s why I am so honored to welcome Karen Dynan to our Steering Committee. Her leadership, commitment to evidence-based policymaking, and breadth of expertise will be a tremendous asset to Equitable Growth as we seek to identify and answer the most pressing macroeconomic research and policy questions in order to achieve broad-based economic growth in the United States.”

“As policymakers continue to confront the challenges of stagnant wages and rising economic inequality, Equitable Growth’s support of new research and evidence-based policy solutions is essential,” Dynan said. “Economic policymaking will ultimately be more effective when we take into account the question of how and to what degree inequality may be altering our understanding of the economic landscape facing households and the broader economy. Equitable Growth’s growing network and body of supported research is critical for policymakers looking to better understand how to attain growth that benefits all, not only the few.”