CDPS Blog

Q&A: Introducing CDPS' new policy economists

October 3, 2019

Community Development and Policy Studies (CDPS) recently welcomed three new economists to the Policy Studies team: Nathan Anderson, Jonathan Lanning, and Jung Sakong. The growing team, led by Jane Dokko, expands the Fed’s research on promoting the economic resilience and mobility of low- and moderate-income households and communities. The economists bring diverse experiences, as well as a shared dedication to the application of evidence and research to policy. Continue reading below to learn more.

Nathan Anderson

Title: Senior Policy Economist
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MN
Education: BA in economics from Case Western Reserve University; Master's and PhD in economics from the University of Michigan; Juris Doctor from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Hobbies: I'm a big sports fan and I enjoy spending time with my family.

Q: What attracted you to CDPS or the Chicago Fed?
A: The opportunity to combine my legal and data analysis skills to inform community development policies.

Q: What aspects of your profession do you enjoy most?
A: I enjoy learning from others and sharing what I’ve learned with others.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” – James Baldwin

Jonathan Lanning

Title: Senior Policy Economist
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Education: BA from Occidental College; Master’s and PhD in economics from the University of Michigan
Hobbies: Golf, chasing after my kid and/or dog, trying new restaurants.

Q: What attracted you to CDPS or the Chicago Fed?
A: CDPS provides a wonderful opportunity to continue the research I enjoy, to apply that research to important problems, and to do so in a way that fosters a connection to the communities we serve.

Q: What aspects of your profession do you enjoy most?
A: I enjoy bringing rigorous analysis and an evidence-based perspective to policies and programs. This requires a commitment to serious scholarship and research. It also requires keeping an eye on the “bigger picture” of how and why that research matters to the “real world.” I also like that, as economists, we take causal identification seriously, and are always trying to understand what we really know versus what we suspect. We do this by applying rigorous analytic methodologies to messy data and important social problems.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: I am in what feels to be a Sisyphean state of reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I always end up having to reread sections after putting it down for too long.

Jung Sakong

Title: Policy Economist
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Education: BA in economics from Harvard University; PhD in economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Hobbies: Church, Audible, and the gym.

Q: What attracted you to CDPS or the Chicago Fed?
A: Passionate and caring colleagues, shared research and policy interests, and the city of Chicago.

Q: What aspects of your profession do you enjoy most?
A: Application of economic principles, the application of evidence and research to policy, and autonomy in research.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: “The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic” by Mike Duncan.

 

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