Senator Stabenow Statement on Dr. Lisa Cook Nomination to Serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors

WASHINGTON—Senator Debbie Stabenow released the following statement on President Biden’s nomination of Dr. Lisa Cook to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. If confirmed, Dr. Cook will be the first Black woman to serve on the Board.

“Dr. Lisa Cook is the right person at the right time to serve at the Federal Reserve. I’m glad President Biden recognized this. Her nomination comes at a moment when the Federal Reserve needs the best and the brightest to help us recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Cook’s perspective and experience is unmatched and will be instrumental in our nation’s recovery. Her nomination is also historic, as she will be the first Black woman to serve on the Board. I’m so proud to see Michigan’s diversity and excellence be represented at the Federal Reserve. I look forward to supporting her confirmation.”

Lisa D. Cook is a Professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University. She was the first Marshall Scholar from Spelman College and received a second B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University. She earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley with fields in macroeconomics and international economics. She was an adjunct professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Deputy Director for Africa Research at the Center for International Development at Harvard University, and a National Fellow at Stanford University. Among her current research interests are economic growth and development, innovation, financial institutions and markets, and economic history. Dr. Cook is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and is the author of a number of published articles, book chapters, and working papers. She is also on the Board of Editors of the Journal of Economic Literature. She also served at the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama and also had visiting appointments at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the University of Michigan, and the Federal Reserve Banks of New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (Academic Advisory Council). 

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