Jeffrey Talpins ’97 Endows Leadership Post at Tobin Center

Yale University has taken another step toward advancing domestic policy research, thanks to a leadership gift from Jeffrey Talpins ’97 endowing the faculty directorship of the Tobin Center for Economic Policy at Yale. Steven Berry, the David Swensen Professor of Economics, has been named the inaugural Jeffrey M. Talpins Faculty Director.

Named in memory of the late James Tobin, iconic faculty member and Nobel laureate, the Tobin Center will not only have a profound impact at Yale, but also bring much needed intellectual rigor and hard data to the national discourse on public policy. The center is slated to open in 2022.

“With our country facing so many critical long-term challenges, I believe the Tobin Center will put Yale’s research efforts right at the center of the public policy debate, leading to better outcomes for our society,” said Talpins.

Berry, a member of the Yale faculty since 1988, is a renowned economist whose research analyzes industrial organization, empirical models of product differentiation, and market equilibrium. He will be responsible for executing the center’s strategic vision to advance rigorous, evidence-based research. In addition, he will engage with questions and topics that command attention from key figures in the world of policy and decision making.

“Steven will play a crucial role in launching the center,” said Ben Polak, university provost. “We are grateful for Jeff’s generosity. With Steven at the helm of the Tobin Center, we will attract top faculty in these exciting areas to Yale.”

“Steven will help the university to establish itself as a new force in the world of economic policy analysis,” said Tamar Gendler ’87, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences and the Vincent J. Scully Professor of Philosophy. “We are grateful for Jeff for his vision and commitment in supporting this exciting endeavor.”