Rachel Croson has been recommended to serve as the new dean of Michigan State University’s College of Social Science.
If approved by the MSU Board of Trustees, her appointment would be effective Aug. 1.
Croson is the John and Judy Goolsby – Virginia and Paul Dorman Endowed Chair, professor of economics and dean of the College of Business at the University of Texas Arlington. Under her leadership, the college saw significant increases in peer-reviewed publications, citations of faculty research, press coverage of faculty research and philanthropic giving.
Croson previously served as professor and director of the Negotiations Center at the University of Texas at Dallas and as associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She also served two years as the National Science Foundation’s division director for Social and Economic Sciences.
Croson earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, with a double major in economics and philosophy, and a minor in political science. She earned her doctorate in economics from Harvard University.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Croson to MSU as the next dean of our College of Social Science,” said MSU Provost June Pierce Youatt. “Her strong leadership, record of accomplishments and enthusiasm for the future of the college will benefit our entire community of social, behavioral and economic science faculty, researchers and students.”
Croson’s own research has concentrated on experimental and behavioral economics, investigating how people make a variety of economic decisions. Her research is diverse, drawing on and contributing to multiple disciplines, and has been published in academic journals in economics, business, political science and sociology.
“I am honored to have been chosen for this position, and am excited to work with the outstanding faculty, staff and students in the College of Social Science, as well as with the senior leadership team at MSU.”
Croson has held a number of professional leadership roles, including serving on the board of the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession, where she was pivotal in developing and running mentoring workshops for female junior faculty.
The College of Social Science at MSU is a community of scholars committed to creating, disseminating and applying knowledge in the social, behavioral and economic sciences.