Anthony Krautmann, economics professor at DePaul for over thirty years, was recently promoted to the position of Department of Economics chair. According to a Q&A on the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business website, in addition to teaching, Krautmann will be responsible for leading the department and for promoting teaching excellence, research and service.
Here are some excerpts from that Q&A below:
Krautmann was asked why he choose to become an economics professor:
When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa, I had a hard time selecting a field of study. I took an economics class and while most of my friends struggled, I performed well and was genuinely interested in the subject matter. I liked the idea of using numbers and deductive reasoning in a combination of liberal arts, social sciences and basic sciences. I continued taking economics courses and when I earned my undergraduate degree during the biggest recession since the Great Depression, I decided to further my education.
I earned both my master’s and PhD in economics at the University of Iowa. When it came time for me to interview schools to teach at, I was instantly attracted to DePaul because of the talent and research output of the faculty. I knew that I would be able to continue my research agenda in a top business school while teaching economics courses.
He was also asked what he hopes to accomplish in his new position:
One of the reasons I came to DePaul in the first place was because as a school, we pride ourselves on being research oriented and scholarly. I would like to find ways to encourage our faculty to do more research and publication. There are hundreds of journals in economics and a huge variation in topics. Publications can bring recognition to the department and school as well as bring in more speakers and conferences. It also helps attract students and faculty.
Lastly, Krautmann was asked why now is a good time to study economics at DePaul:
Whether students are in the undergraduate, MBA or Master of Science in Economic Policy Analysis (MSEPA) programs, our students are prepared for a career in consulting, all levels of government, non-for-profit organizations and business. Our curriculum emphasizes theory and application, and students learn how to analyze data, how to critically evaluate policies, and how to write clearly about their conclusions and their research. When students have taken all the required economics classes, they are in pretty good shape for the job market.
Economics has become a more general degree than finance or accounting, which have specific job targets. The job market has been very strong for economics majors and our students are well prepared for careers in fields that demand a solid application of economic theory to policy and real-world business problems. We work closely with our students throughout their academic careers and have had great success placing our students into highly desired jobs in both the public and private sectors.