Head shot of Brigitte Madrian

Brigitte Madrian

Dean,
Deans Office
Marriott Distinguished Professor of Finance,
Finance
Marriott Distinguished Professor,
Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics
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Biography

Brigitte C. Madrian is the Dean and Marriott Distinguished Professor in the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business where she has a joint appointment in the Department of Finance and the George W. Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics. Before coming to BYU, she was on the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School (2006-2018), the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School (2003-2006), the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (1995-2003) and the Harvard University Economics Department (1993-1995). She is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and served as co-director of the NBER Household Finance working group from 2010-2018.

Dr. Madrian’s current research focuses on behavioral economics and household finance, with a particular focus on household saving and investment behavior. Her work in this area has impacted the design of employer-sponsored savings plans in the U.S. and has influenced pension reform legislation both in the U.S. and abroad. She also uses the lens of behavioral economics to understand health behaviors and improve health outcomes.

Dr. Madrian received her Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and studied economics as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University. She is a recipient of the Skandia Research Prize for outstanding research on “Long-Term Savings” with relevance for banking, insurance, and financial services (2019), the Retirement Income Industry Association Achievement in Applied Retirement Research Award (2015) and a three-time recipient of the TIAA Paul A. Samuelson Award for Scholarly Research on Lifelong Financial Security (2002, 2011 and 2017).

Education

  • PhD, Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993
  • BA, Economics, Brigham Young University, 1989
  • MA, Economics, Brigham Young University, 1989

Selected Publications

Experience

Academic - Post-Secondary

  • Aetna Professor of Public Policy and Corporate Management, Harvard University, 2006–2018
  • Boettner Chair in Financial Gerontology, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, 2003–2006
  • Associate Professor, University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, 1999–2003
  • Assistant Professor, University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, 1995–1999
  • Assistant Professor, Harvard University, Department of Economics, 1993–1995

Awards

  • Skandia Research Prize, Thule Foundation, 2019
  • TIAA Paul A. Samuelson Award for Outstanding Scholarly Writing on Lifelong Financial Security, TIAA, 2017
  • Brigham Young University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, Brigham Young University, 2016
  • Retirement Income Industry Association Achievement in Applied Retirement Research Award, Retirement Income Industry Association, 2015
  • TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award for Outstanding Scholarly Writing on Lifelong Financial Security, TIAA-CREF, 2011
  • TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award for Outstanding Scholarly Writing on Lifelong Financial Security, TIAA-CREF, 2002
  • National Bureau of Economic Research Aging and Health Economics Fellowship, National Bureau of Economic Research, 1994
  • National Academy of Social Insurance Dissertation Prize (First Place), National Academy of Social Insurance, 1994

Administrative Assignments

  • Dean — 2019

BYU Citizenship

  • Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership — Committee/Council Chair — January 2021
  • Wheatley Institute — Committee/Council Member — 2020

Professional Citizenship

  • Intermountain Healthcare Utah Valley Hospitals Governing Board, Committee/Council Chair, June 2022
  • MIT Department of Economics Visiting Committee, Committee/Council Member, 2022
  • U.S. Comptroller General Educators Advisory Panel, Committee/Council Member, 2022
  • Intermountain Healthcare Utah Valley Hospitals Governing Board, Board Member, June 2020
  • AACSB Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management accreditation committee, Committee/Council Member, June 2023–June 2023
  • AACSB Brandeis International Business School/Heller School accreditation committee, Committee/Council Member, April 2023–April 2023
  • AACSB Texas A&M Mays School of Business accreditation committee, Committee/Council Member, January 2023–January 2023
  • AACSB Miami University Farmer School of Business accreditation committee, Committee/Council Member, 2022–2022
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Academic Research Council, Committee/Council Member, 2016–2020
  • FINRA, Board Member, 2014–2019
  • Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Editorial Review Board Member, 2010–2019
  • Commonwealth (formerly D2D), Board Member, 2010–2018
  • National Bureau of Economic Research Household Finance Working Group, Committee/Council Chair, 2010–2018
  • Bipartisan Policy Center Personal Savings Initiative, Committee/Council Member, 2014–2016
  • Review of Economics and Statistics, Editor, Associate Editor, 2007–2015
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Community Development Research Advisory Council, Committee/Council Member, 2012–2014
  • American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Editorial Review Board Member, 2007–2013
  • Journal of Human Resources, Editor, Associate Editor, 2003–2012
  • Social Security Advisory Board Technical Panel, Committee/Council Chair, 2010–2011
  • NIH Social Sciences and Population Studies Study Section, Committee/Council Member, 2004–2008