Cecilia Elena Rouse ( ; born December18, 1963) is an American

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

who has served as the 30th

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a United States agency within the Executive Office of the President established in 1946, which advises the President of the United States on economic policy. The CEA provides much of the empirical resea ...

since March 2021. She is the first

Black American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

to hold this position. Prior to this, she served as the dean of the

Princeton School of Public and International Affairs The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school provides an array of comprehensive course ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

. Joe Biden nominated Rouse to be

in November 2020. Rouse was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate on March 2, 2021, by a vote of 95–4.

Early life and education

Rouse grew up in

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach town in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the De ...

and graduated from

Torrey Pines High School Torrey Pines High School is a high school in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. The school is named after the Torrey pine tree that grows in the area. Torrey Pines High School is a member of the San Dieguito Union High Schoo ...

in 1981. She has two siblings: Forest Rouse, a physicist; and Carolyn Rouse, an anthropologist and professor at Princeton University. Her father Carl A. Rouse was a research physicist who received his Ph.D. from the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

in 1956. Her mother Lorraine worked as a school psychologist. Rouse received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1986 and a PhD in economics from

in 1992.

Career

After earning her doctorate, Rouse joined the faculty at Princeton University in 1992. Rouse served in the National Economic Council under President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

from 1998 to 1999. Rouse served as a member of President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

Council of Economic Advisers The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a United States agency within the Executive Office of the President established in 1946, which advises the President of the United States on economic policy. The CEA provides much of the empirical resea ...

from 2009 to 2011. Rouse has served as the dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and is the Lawrence and Shirley Katzman and Lewis and Anna Ernst Professor in the Economics of Education. She is the founding director of the Princeton University Education Research Section, is a member of the

National Academy of Education The National Academy of Education (NAEd) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization in the United States that advances high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. Founded in 1965, the NAEd currently consists of over 300 elec ...

and a research associate of the

National Bureau of Economic Research The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is an American private nonprofit research organization "committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic c ...

. Her primary research interests are in labor economics with a focus on the economics of education. Rouse has served as an editor of the ''

Journal of Labor Economics A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

'' and as a senior editor of ''

The Future of Children The Future of Children is a biannual academic journal published by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is ...

''. She is a member of the board of directors of

MDRC MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research organization based in New York City; Washington, DC; and Oakland and Los Angeles, California. History In 1974, the Ford Foundation and six government agencies together create ...

, and a director of the T. Rowe Price Equity Mutual Funds and an advisory board member of the T. Rowe Price Fixed Income Mutual Funds. V20210312LJ-0739 (51102023788)

Biden administration

President Joe Biden nominated Rouse to become Chair of the

. The

Senate Banking Committee The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (formerly the Committee on Banking and Currency), also known as the Senate Banking Committee, has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, ...

held hearings on her nomination on January 28, 2021. On February 4, 2022, the committee favorably reported Rouse's nomination to the Senate floor. The Senate confirmed Rouse by a vote of 95–4 on March 2, 2021.

Personal life

Rouse is married to Ford Morrison, the son of author

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...

. They have two daughters.

Selected publications

* *
Abstract.
* * * * *

References

External links

Biography
at

* * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Rouse, Cecilia 1963 births Living people 21st-century American economists 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people Academics from California African-American economists African-American members of the Cabinet of the United States American women economists Biden administration cabinet members Chairs of the United States Council of Economic Advisers Clinton administration personnel Economists from California Harvard University alumni Obama administration personnel People from Del Mar, California Princeton University faculty Women members of the Cabinet of the United States