development/behavioral economist at Stanford GSB

[apfphd]

Does anyone know who does development or behavior at Stanford GSB? I'd appreciate any input on this.

Thanks

[Jhai]

Check the website for faculty profiles. From what I can tell, John McMillan, Robert Flanagan, Peter Henry do something related to development. I'm not interested in behavior, so I'm not sure who does that.

Why do you ask? The SoP prompt doesn't really require you to explain at length about why you want to attend their particular program. I mean - it's Stanford: of course you want to attend, and they know it without you needing to explain it.

[apfphd]

hi thanks for your reply. I am asking because the GSB essay asks in detail about research interests. I am not applying to the economics program, but to the Economics and Policy Analysis program at the GSB.
Thanks though.

[Jhai]

I realize what you're applying for - I'm applying for the same program. But the prompt says:

Write a brief essay on the following subjects concerning you and your intended field of study:
Your past work on relevant issues
What excites you most about the field
Possible areas of research you might pursue
Any research projects you have completed with a faculty member
Any other information you would like to provide the admissions committee

Nowhere does that ask you to identify potential faculty members you'd like to work with, although it may be helpful when discussing "possible areas of research you might pursue" to throw out a few names to make it clear that you have interests that relate to the faculty's interests, since it's a relatively small program. But you don't want to dwell on the issue, since the prompt asks for a lot for a brief essay. I stand by my statement that it's Stanford, and they don't need you praising their program to know you want to go there. They already know you want to go there. They know that their faculty is awesome, and that most graduate students would jump at the chance to study with them. The only way you could really go wrong in listing your research interests is to say that you want to do economic history, or enviromental economics, or any of the other fields that they have no one working in.

If you do want to find out who does what, the program's website has a very easy-to-find page listing the faculty. You can then click on the professors' names, and find out everything you'd like to know about their research. Here's the page: http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/academicareas/econ.html

In the future, perhaps you shouldn't ask other students to do your homework the night before the essay is due.

[apfphd]

I have done my homework pretty well thank you. Of course anyone who applies to phd programs knows to check faculty profiles and all that. However sometimes people know a bit extra about faculty interests that is not always captured in profiles. Hence the question.

You know, you neednt have replied to this posting if it rankled that much. Because I wasnt looking for the obvious answer: look at faculty profiles.

No reason to start getting all preachy and bitter! jeez.