Wharton School welcomes nine new faculty members, including Thomas Sargent, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, who returns as the Rowan Distinguished Professor of Finance. Sargent expresses enthusiasm for collaborating with students and faculty, emphasizing the rewards of research in economics.

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The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has announced the addition of nine new faculty members this year, highlighted by the return of Nobel Prize-winning economist Thomas Sargent. Sargent, who holds the title of Rowan Distinguished Professor of Finance, previously taught at Penn briefly in the early 1970s and has since maintained a strong connection with the institution.

Sargent's prestigious career includes teaching and research roles at renowned institutions like New York University, Stanford, and Harvard. He is well recognized for his research on economic policy and its impacts, having received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2011 for his work on understanding cause and effect in macroeconomics.

In his own words, Sargent describes his work as a "privilege," stating, "I get to read books... interact with very bright students. You know, I would pay to do that." His passion for economics stems from personal history; his upbringing during World War II and the Great Depression deeply influenced his interest in understanding economic systems.

Sargent reflects fondly on the academic contributions of his former colleagues at Penn. He credits his collaboration with faculty from the 1970s for guiding his research trajectory which led to his Nobel recognition. He is excited to continue his research journey at Wharton, describing his relationship with research as a "love-hate affair," noting that while he enjoys what he is working on, when he looks back on the results he often feels he could have worked harder and should try again.

Alongside Sargent, Wharton's new faculty members include experts across various fields, from financial risk to the economics of sports. They are:

Patrick Adams: Financial Risk and Decision-Making

Sky Cao: Evolution Equations With Randomness

Craig Fernandes: The Economics of Sports

Roger Masclans: The Innovation Race

Alex Moehring: How Humans Interact With Tech

Jessica Reif: AI and Organizational Behavior

Brad Ross: Land Use and Transportation Policies

Rory Van Loo: Artificial Intelligence and the Law

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Read the full press release: knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu