Professor Oriana Bandiera of the Department of Economics takes up her new position as Director of this term.
Oriana, who works in applied microeconomics, especially (but not exclusively) in development and organization economics, joined the Economics Department as a Lecturer in 1999, and has been here ever since.
During that time, she has held visiting positions at the universities of Chicago, New York, Yale and Stockholm. Apart from being a Co-Director of the Economic Organization and Public Policy programme at STICERD, she is Co-Director of the State Capabilities Research Programme at the International Growth Centre. She is also a fellow of several research networks and serves on the board of editors of the Journal of Economic Literature, the Journal of Development Economics, Economica and the Economic Journal.
As Director of STICERD, one of her main responsibilities will be to allocate funds to promote research in economics and related disciplines across the school. STICERD funds finance numerous research activities, such as conferences, academic visits, special lectures, research grants and students' grants; she will report to the STICERD steering committee, whose members represent the different STICERD constituencies.
When asked about the issues she feels will be important to STICERD and the Department of Economics over the next few years, she highlighted the need to attract and retain the very best staff. "(We) are at the top of economics research in Europe and among the best worldwide. To stay at the top it is key to keep all research fields staffed both at the senior and junior level, and to provide the best conditions for our researchers to develop their ideas into projects."
"It is a great honour to be asked to head this amazing research community, and to follow on the footsteps of the previous directors who have created an incredibly vibrant research environment here in STICERD", she added.
Oriana replaces Professor Tim Besley, who served as Director of STICERD from 2000-2011. Professor Besley added: 'I am delighted that Professor Bandiera is taking on this task. STICERD is an important resource for ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ and one of its oldest research centres; it is good to know that it will be in such capable hands'.
STICERD's previous directors were Professor Michio Morishima, Professor Sir Tony Atkinson, Professor Lord Nicholas Stern and Professor Howard Glennerster.
January 2012