June 11, 2010
Contact:
Renee DeGross Valdes, 404-413-1353
University Relations
ATLANTA - Mary Beth Walker, professor and chair of the department of economics at Georgia State University, has been named dean of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
Walker joined Georgia State in 1991 as an assistant professor of economics. She was named an associate professor in 1997. She served as interim associate dean of the Andrew Young School in 2009 and was named professor and chair of the department of economics last July, where she served before being named to her current position.
"Dr. Walker embodies the Andrew Young School mission to create and disseminate knowledge for policy makers and leaders in the public, nonprofit, and business worlds, and to educate students to become the next generation of policy scholars and practitioners," said GSU Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Risa Palm.
She added, "I am confident that under her leadership, the Andrew Young School will continue its rise as one of the top policy schools in the country with regional, national and global reach."
Walker's areas of expertise include applied micro-economics, education policy and health policy. Her scholarship has been published in journals such as the Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Econometrics and the National Tax Journal.
Prior to joining GSU, Walker was an assistant professor of economics at Emory University for three years and an instructor at Rice University.
She holds a bachelor's degree in economics and math from Rhodes College in Memphis, and earned her master's and doctorate degrees in economics from Rice University. The School of Policy Studies was founded in 1996 and named for the Honorable Andrew Young in 1999.
The school houses the department of economics and the department of public management and policy, along with seven research centers. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report ratings of "Best Graduate Programs," the Andrew Young School ranks No. 5 for its public finance and budgeting program and 27th overall in the nation.
"Dr. Walker is the right choice to lead the Andrew Young School into the future," said GSU President Mark P. Becker.