Kenneth S. Rogoff

Kenneth S. Rogoff

As the American under-21 chess champion, Kenneth S. Rogoff decided to "miss most of the last two years of high school." He left Rochester, New York, to support himself in Yugoslavia on prize winnings—perhaps an inkling of his international interests. Yale accepted his equivalency diploma; in college he played chess summers only (placing no lower than seventh in three U.S. Championships), indulging instead a new passion, economics, in which he was taught by future Nobel laureate James Tobin. Thereafter, Rogoff dropped out of MIT to play chess until he quit (cold turkey) to earn a Ph.D. in 1980. Professor of economics at Harvard since 1999, he has pursued "problems at the intersection of political economy and economics," a phenomenon he saw firsthand during two years on leave as chief economist and research director of the International Monetary Fund, ending last fall. He has documented the "political budget cycle": governments' willingness to raise taxes, for example, relative to the electoral calendar, and "why voters fall for it." His interpretation of international debt (more symptom than cause of developing countries' weak growth) extends to speculation on "why countries like the U.S. can borrow enough to wrap a rope around their necks several times" while others cannot secure credit. As the new director of Harvard's Center for International Development, he will focus research on "the big problem for the world over the next 100 years": that two billion people are poor although "our world is a cornucopia." On the home front, filmmaker Natasha Rogoff pioneered the Russian Sesame Street, but International Grandmaster Kenneth will teach children Gabriel, seven, and Juliana, five, the basic chess moves.

You might also like

A New Chapter for Harvard Arts

The Office for the Arts turns 50, and its longtime director steps down.

Education School Announces Interim Dean

Nonie Lesaux will serve as dean during search

Harvard Students form Pro-Palestine Encampment

Protesters set up camp in Harvard Yard

Most popular

The Homelessness Public Health Crisis

Homelessness has surged in the United States, with devastating effects on the public health system.

A New Chapter for Harvard Arts

The Office for the Arts turns 50, and its longtime director steps down.

Marc Hauser “Engaged in Research Misconduct”

Federal investigative agency reports on former Harvard psychology professor’s work

More to explore

What is the Best Breakfast and Lunch in Harvard Square?

The cafés and restaurants of Harvard Square sure to impress for breakfast and lunch.

How Homelessness is a Public Health Crisis

Homelessness has surged in the United States, with devastating effects on the public health system.

Portfolio Diet May Reduce Long-Term Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke, Harvard Researchers Find

A little-known diet improves cardiovascular health through several distinct mechanisms.