Support Our Faculty

Economics Faculty

The Department of Economics has many funds that support faculty research and teaching development.

Department Priority Funds

Friends of Economics: Perhaps the most important resource to the department, this fund provides unrestricted support for departmental needs. Donations have been used for student assistance and merit awards, to enhance student scholarships, for computer software in the student labs, to purchase subscriptions to publications for faculty and graduate students on the latest economic research, to support the undergraduate student board’s newsletter and student seminars on career planning, and for brown bag seminars where faculty and graduate students present their research for critical review.

Economics Endowed Fund: The Economics Endowed Fund was established in 1990 during the Campaign for Washington. Notable initial donors include Gary Waterman and Gardner Brown. The purpose of the fund is to provide unrestricted support for the Department of Economics. Recently the funds have been used for faulty recruitment and research support to current faculty.

Alberta C. Corkery Endowed Chair in Economics: Established in July 2007 through a final distribution of a bequest from the Estate of Alberta C. Corkery in the amount of $1,000,000 to support an endowed chair in Economics.

Robert R. Richards Endowed Chair in Economics: Established in April 2008 through a gift of securities from Mr. Richards’ nephew, Malcolm Goodfellow, in honor of his uncle. Robert R. (Bob) Richards is a founding member of the Economics Visiting Committee and Chair Emeritus.

Milliman Endowed Chair in Economics: Established in 2012 by alumnus Glen Milliman and his wife Alison. Mr. Milliman is a long-time supporter of the Department and member of the Visiting Committee. In 1995 he established the Glen S. and Alison W. Milliman Endowed Fund in Economics, which provides support to faculty.

Professorships

The Jane and Cecil Castor Professorship: Established by Jane and Cecil Castor in 1989 to enhance the University’s ability to support distinguished faculty in the Department of Economics. The Castor’s felt it is especially important that the department faculty reflect a range of economic theory. This gift was adequate to be used as an endowed chair, should the Chair of the department deem it appropriate.

The Ford and Louisa Van Voorhis Professorship: Established in 1986 to provide financial support to a member of the faculty in the Department of Economics. The Van Voorhises stipulated that the professor chosen would be filled by an effective proponent of the classical tradition.

The Charles R. Nelson Professorship: Established by Will and Susanna Thomas in 2006 in honor of the many years of distinguished service to the Department of Economics by Professor Charles Nelson.

The Bryan C. Cressey Endowed Professorship: Established in 2004 to enhance the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in the Department of Economics.

The Andrew F. Brimmer Endowed Professorship in Economics: Established in 2013 through charitable trust by Dr. Andrew F. Brimmer, MA ’51, BA ’50. Dr. Brimmer was the first African-American to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, under appointment by President Lyndon Johnson, from 1966 to 1974. He completed his PhD in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and attended UW on the G.I. Bill after serving at the rank of staff sergeant in the U.S. Army near the end of World War II.  After many years of public service, during which he held a number of high-ranking posts in Washington, D.C. and taught at Harvard University, Dr. Brimmer passed away in late 2012, at the age of 86. While many alumni reflect fondly on their undergraduate experiences, few had Dr. Brimmer’s deep understanding of the financial support needed to sustain and advance outstanding academic programs in the 21st century.

Endowments

Henry T. Buechel Memorial Endowment: To provide an award for an outstanding instructor in the Department of Economics, presented annually at the undergraduate graduation celebration as the Henry T. Buechel award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching. This award was established in 1972 by Henry Buechel’s friends and family to honor and encourage other outstanding teachers. Professor Buechel joined the UW faculty in 1942 and was widely considered one of the most inspiring educators on campus. In 2014 senior lecturer Haideh Salehi-Esfahani was presented with the Buechel award.

Paul T. Heyne Fund for Undergraduate Teaching Development: Paul Heyne, a senior lecturer in the Department, passed away April 9, 2000, after a brief struggle with cancer. Paul came to the University of Washington in 1976 and was a true champion of undergraduate education. The Department of Economics has set up an endowment in his memory. The endowment, established in 2004, will bring distinguished teachers to the UW, to be known as Paul Heyne Visiting Scholars, whose scholarship in economics reflects Paul Heyne’s commitment to undergraduate teaching and his broad interests within Economics, especially its relation to ethics and society.

Clark Wallin Endowed Fund: Created by Clark Wallin to provide discretionary funds for the Department Chair. Mr. Wallin is a stock broker and financial consultant who is Assistant Vice President of Sullivan Payne, Inc.

Glen S. and Alison W. Milliman Endowed Fund in Economics: Established in 1995 to provide support for faculty in the Department of Economics. Mr. Milliman has been a long-time member of the Economics Visiting Committee and is currently on the Executive Committee and the Development Committee of the VC.

Eldon J. Dvorak Endowment in Economics: Established in 2012 to make financial grants and/or assistantships to assist the Economics faculty in their role as researchers and scholars. A preference should be given to faculty requesting travel support for presenting papers and participating in professional conferences.

Research Centers

Economics Policy Research Center Discretionary Fund: The Economic Policy Research Centerserves as a forum for economic policy discussions vital to the Northwest. Its purpose is to engage public and private sector stakeholders with the University of Washington faculty to clarify and improve economic content of public policy. Donated funds are used to support undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty in support of conferences and regional research projects.

Research Center for International Economics Discretionary Fund: Support for the RCIE, established at the University of Washington in November 2001, which aims at promoting research on international economics, encouraging interactions among economists in the world especially those in the Asia Pacific region, and helping the advancement of the frontiers of knowledge in this important field of economics.

Questions?

Read our Giving FAQs, send an email or call 206-543-5945 or 1-877-UW-GIFTS (894-4387).

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