Chad Bown, former chief economist at US Department of State, returns to PIIE

WASHINGTON—The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) is pleased to announce that Chad P. Bown, former chief economist at the US State Department, rejoined the Institute as the Reginald Jones Senior Fellow on January 21, 2025. Since January 2024, Bown was on leave for public service as chief economist for the State Department, where he led a team of economists responsible for providing critical analysis and guidance to the secretary of state and other agency officials on trade and industrial policy, supply chain resilience, and other areas of economic policy cooperation.

Bown had previously been a PIIE senior fellow since 2016, focusing his research on international trade policy, industrial policy, supply chains, and economic security. He also cofounded the popular Trade Talks podcast.

“We thank Chad for his latest term of public service. As the world recognizes, Chad has a stellar combination of data-driven honesty and insight, always making terrific contributions on the most policy relevant trade issues in the most captivating way. The Peterson Institute is proud to be Dr. Bown’s professional home, and we are thrilled to welcome him home. He makes us and the world a better place through his work,” PIIE president Adam S. Posen said. 
Bown previously served as senior economist for international trade and investment in the White House on the Council of Economic Advisers and as a lead economist at the World Bank for seven years, conducting research and advising developing country governments on international trade policy. Bown was a tenured professor of economics at Brandeis University, where he held a joint appointment in the department of economics and International Business School for 12 years. He also spent a year in residence as a visiting scholar in economic research at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat in Geneva.

Bown is also currently a research fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in London and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Bown received a BA magna cum laude in economics and international relations from Bucknell University and a PhD in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Media Contact 
Carlos Gomez, PIIE media relations, and Outreach Director [email protected].

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