Madison Reporter

Kim Ruhl, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been appointed to the President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), according to a White House announcement. The CEA, established by Congress in 1946, consists of three economists who provide advice to the U.S. president on economic policy issues.

Ruhl is co-director of The Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy (CROWE) and becomes the first economist from UW–Madison to join the CEA. He is recognized for his expertise in international economics and has contributed research on firm heterogeneity, trade policy dynamics, and tariffs.

“It is a real honor to be appointed as a member of CEA,” Ruhl stated. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to apply my training and expertise as an economist to timely public policy issues and I am very much looking forward to serving my country and my president.”

President Donald Trump appointed Ruhl alongside Pierre Yared, Senior Vice Dean and MUTB Professor of International Business at Columbia School of Business. They will collaborate with CEA chairman Stephen Miran and other members of the president’s economic team.

“Kim is a deeply insightful economist, and we are thrilled that he will be in a position to impact economic policy at a national level through his appointment to the Council,” said Eric Wilcots, Dean of the College of Letters & Science. “We have truly appreciated his service as co-Director of CROWE; service that speaks to his commitment to translating research to practice and policy.”

During his tenure at the CEA, Ruhl will take leave from UW–Madison. Ananth Seshadri will assume leadership at CROWE during this period. CROWE focuses on supporting economic policy research with an emphasis on Wisconsin's economy.

Christopher Taber, Walker Family Distinguished Chair and chair of the Department of Economics, remarked: “Kim Ruhl is one of the world’s preeminent trade economists and is an outstanding choice for the CEA. He is gifted with the ability to navigate the gap between academic research and actual implementation of economic ideas, which will lead him to be effective at informing policy based on evidence."