July 20, 1999 Contact: Margaret McCarthy (312) 996-8279, mmm@uic.edu

ECONOMIST DEIRDRE McCLOSKEY TO TEACH COURSE AT UIC

Leading economist Deirdre McCloskey will spend the fall semester teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Deirdre McCloskey is one of the foremost public intellectuals of our day," said Provost Elizabeth Hoffman, a friend and colleague of McCloskey's for nearly 30 years. "She is an internationally known economist whose interests range from the economic history of open-field farming in medieval England to feminist economics in contemporary economic thought."

Stanley Fish, dean of liberal arts and sciences, hopes to attract McCloskey, professor of economics and history at the University of Iowa, to stay permanently at UIC.

"She created a school of economics with one of her books, The Rhetoric of Economics," said Fish. "She has pulled off the extraordinary trick of simultaneously telling economists that they are rhetoricians and not scientists, and establishing herself as an absolutely mainstream, first-rate economic historian."

McCloskey will teach a graduate course on the history and ethical philosophy of the Western middle class during the last three centuries, titled "Bourgeois Virtue." She is currently writing a book on the same topic.

"Deirdre McCloskey is an outstanding, world-class economist who has made major contributions in the fields of economics history, methodology and rhetoric of economics," said Barry Chiswick, head of the department of economics. "She is an intellectually stimulating person who will greatly enhance educational opportunities for UIC students in economics and the humanities. My colleagues in the economics department and I are delighted she will be joining our faculty for the fall semester."

McCloskey received her bachelor's and doctorate degrees in economics at Harvard University. She is currently a John F. Murray professor of economics and professor of history at the University of Iowa and is the Tinbergen Distinguished Professor at Erasmus University of Rotterdam. She is the author of a dozen books in economics and history.

"This is a marvelous opportunity to pursue research and teach in a stimulating and interdisciplinary environment," said McCloskey. "I am flattered by Stanley Fish's and Provost Hoffman's interest in my joining UIC. UIC is very attractive to me; it seems exceptionally well run and offers an excellent opportunity for the future."

Fish has successfully recruited a number of top scholars to UIC since becoming dean in January, including Gerald Graff, nationally known English and education professor from the University of Chicago; John D'Emilio, Guggenheim fellow, renowned historian, and pioneer in gay and lesbian studies; and Christopher Maurer, Latin American scholar from Vanderbilt University. According to Fish, McCloskey's one-semester appointment is a preliminary step toward attracting her as a permanent member of the faculty.

With 25,000 students, the University of Illinois at Chicago is the largest and most diverse university in the Chicago area and home to the largest medical school in the United States. Located just west of the city's Loop, UIC is a vital part of the educational, technological and cultural fabric of the area. Through its Great Cities initiative, UIC implements teaching, research and public service programs designed to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas.

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