BGSU names Fuerst Distinguished Research Professor

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University economist Dr. Timothy Fuerst was celebrated at the March 29 Faculty Recognition Reception for having been named Distinguished Research Professor. The title was conferred on him by the BGSU Board of Trustees at its February meeting.

A tenure-track faculty member since 1993 and the former Owens-Illinois Professor in the College of Business Administration, Fuerst is among the top 4 percent of economics researchers worldwide in terms of productivity. His research focuses on construction of theoretical models of business cycles, particularly the role of financial matters, models of the monetary transmission mechanism and optimal monetary policy.

He has published several books and dozens of articles on monetary policy in the field’s leading journals, and his papers are on the reading lists of macroeconomics Ph.D. courses across the country.

“His productivity over his career has been prodigious, both in volume and in impact,” wrote Dr. John Hoag, a professor and former chair of the Department of Economics. “He is one of the top researchers working in economics today.”

Hoag also cited Fuerst’s leadership in research. He has been an associate editor for the American Economic Review, the flagship journal of economics. He is a reviewer for a wide variety of journals. He has acted as a mentor to younger faculty. He organized a macro research seminar which supported younger faculty in their efforts to publish and which continues. He has been a commentator on television and spoken to campus groups about macroeconomics.

He also has served as a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for several years and now has been named a senior economic adviser for its policy group. 

Although his research is theoretical, Fuerst is also a dedicated teacher who wants his students to grasp the importance of economics to their everyday lives.

In 2000, they chose him as the Master Teacher, an award given to faculty with an extraordinary commitment to students.

Fuerst believes the best teachers are lifelong learners who communicate their passion for scholarship to students.

A graduate student who nominated him for the award recalled that she was skeptical when "on the first day of class he told us that economics should be part of our lives, that we should think about it all of the time . . . Over the course of the semester, however, I did find myself thinking about economics all of the time. Thanks to Dr. Fuerst's enthusiasm, I fell in love with economics."

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(Posted March 30, 2012 )