We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Asha Sundaram will join Northeastern University as Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics, effective January 1, 2026. Dr. Sundaram’s appointment marks a historic milestone for our department, as she will be the first woman to serve as Chair in the department’s history. We also want to express our deep gratitude to Michael Stone, Teaching Professor of Economics, who has served as Interim Chair since July 2024. We are grateful that Professor Stone will continue to contribute his expertise and institutional knowledge as Associate Chair for the remaining academic year.
Professor Asha Sundaram joins us from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where she was Associate Professor with tenure and Deputy Head of the Economics Department. In these roles, she was instrumental in recruiting and mentoring junior female faculty, spearheading new multidisciplinary programs such as a B.Sc. in Quantitative Economics, and attracting a diverse cohort of students to economics. She has also served as Assistant Dean, International at Auckland’s Business School, and co-directed the New Zealand APEC Study Centre.
Professor Sundaram’s research examines how domestic policies and institutions shape who gains and who loses from international trade, with a focus on firm performance, productivity, exports, and implications for employment and wages. Her work has appeared in 20 peer-reviewed journals, including The Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of International Economics, and Journal of Development Economics. Her research has made substantial impact beyond academia—informing policy reforms in India at both state and federal levels and providing expertise to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, South African Treasury, and New Zealand’s Trade Ministry.
Dean Kellee Tsai, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, states: “Following an extensive global search for the next Department Chair of Economics, Professor Asha Sundaram stood out as the ideal leader for the department’s next chapter. She possesses the scholarly accomplishments, vast administrative experience, and thoughtful temperament to elevate the department’s educational and research mission. She is also committed to building a sense of community and belonging among all of its members.”
Our faculty have expressed tremendous enthusiasm for Professor Sundaram’s arrival.
“I wish to extend a warm welcome to Asha! She has the right combination of leadership experience and fresh perspective to lead our department in the years ahead.” — Professor Robert Triest
“Asha, Welcome! We are so excited to have you join us. And we are very grateful to have your wisdom, your guidance, and your leadership.” — Professor James Dana
“I’m very excited to welcome Asha to the department as our incoming chair. I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with her at conferences over the years, and I’m really looking forward to working with her more closely and having her here in the department. Her experience, leadership, and collegial approach will be a tremendous asset to Economics.” — Associate Professor Bilge Erten
“I’m truly excited to welcome you as our new Department Chair! I look forward to working with you and supporting your vision as we move ahead together. Welcome aboard!” — Associate Teaching Professor Jill Dupree
“Welcome Asha to the Economics Department. You have a team of faculty, students, and staff happy to support you.” — Associate Professor Mindy Marks
“Asha, I share the department’s enthusiasm in your arrival. I look forward to collaborating with you and welcome you to a collegial department with an exciting and dynamic student body!” — Associate Teaching Professor Frank Georges
“I am very excited to welcome Asha and really looking forward to working with her. It’s truly a historic and exciting moment for the department.” — Associate Teaching Professor Xiaolin Shi
“I would like to extend my warmest welcome to Asha as she joins our department. I am excited about the academic and administrative experience, as well as the global perspective, that she brings. I look forward to working together with my colleagues to continue growing the department under her leadership.” — Professor Jun Ma, CSSH Dean of Graduate Studies
“Welcome, Asha! We are looking forward to your joining us and providing your energy, vision, and leadership for the department. And you can count on all of us to help in every way possible as you acclimate our beautiful city, our always-wonderful weather, and our university.” — Professor John Kwoka
“We celebrate a milestone for our department as we welcome our first female Chair. Asha’s enthusiasm, optimism, and boundless energy is inspiring, and we are excited for the future ahead under her leadership.” — Professor Silvia Prina
“I want to warmly welcome Asha Sundaram as our incoming Department Chair. Hiring an external chair is never easy, and we were genuinely fortunate that Asha chose to apply—despite knowing exactly what she was signing up for, including Boston winters, or maybe, you like it as you start your appointment on January 1! Jokes aside, thank you, Asha, for putting yourself forward and for accepting this role. Over the course of the recruitment process and in our many conversations about what it takes to build a strong and healthy economics department, what stood out to me was your energy, your willingness to work hard, and your openness to listening and engaging seriously with ideas. I was especially struck by your positivity—something that really matters when the job is difficult, as it often is. Academic leadership is demanding and, at times, thankless work. Doing it well requires clarity, resilience, and a genuine commitment to people and to the institution. I am confident you bring all of that, and I am excited about what we can build together as a department. Welcome to Northeastern, the Department of Economics, and to Boston, Asha. We are very glad you are here.” — Professor Nishith Prakash
As we look forward to Dr. Sundaram’s leadership, we are deeply grateful to Professor Mike Stone for his outstanding service as Interim Chair over the past year and a half. Professor Stone joined the Economics department at Northeastern in 2014 and is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he received his J.D. in 2005 and Ph.D. in Economics in 2010. Over the past decade at Northeastern, Professor Stone has taught thousands of undergraduates in Principles of Microeconomics and has regularly taught Law and Economics, which is his area of specialization. His research has appeared in the International Review of Law and Economics and Contemporary Economic Policy, among other journals, and in 2018, he received the CSSH Outstanding Teaching Award.
Our colleagues have expressed deep appreciation for Professor Stone’s leadership during this transition.
“Many thanks to Mike for his excellent stewardship of our department over the past year and a half. When I stepped down as chair, I was glad that I was passing the baton to someone as capable and caring as Mike.” — Professor Robert Triest
“Mike did an amazing job as department chair. I am so grateful that he stepped up to guide the department in a time of great need. Working with him was an absolute delight and his work will carry into the future.” — Associate Professor Mindy Marks
“A huge thank you to Mike Stone who served the department well during an especially challenging time. Enjoy your well earned respite!” — Professor James Dana
“I just want to say thanks for everything you’ve done as our chair. Your hard work and leadership really made a difference for all of us. I appreciate your support and the direction you’ve given the department.” — Associate Teaching Professor Jill Dupree
“Thanks to Mike for his leadership in the transition period.” — Associate Professor Bilge Erten
“I would also like to personally thank Mike for his steady stewardship of the department over the past year. His exemplary leadership has truly made a difference.” — Professor Jun Ma, CSSH Dean of Graduate Studies
“Thank you, Mike, for turning your life upside down to help guide the department so carefully, thoughtfully, and successfully through this transition. We will always be grateful to you (and apologetic to your family) for all you have done.” — Professor John Kwoka
“Mike, thanks for always being available. The department is lucky you stepped into this role when it needed someone. Hopefully we can have some time to run around the Charles in the future now!” — Associate Teaching Professor Frank Georges
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Mike for his leadership and incredible support over the past year and a half. I am glad that he will continue supporting the department as Associate Chair during this transition.” — Associate Teaching Professor Xiaolin Shi
“Thank you, Mike, for your outstanding (understatement!) service as Interim Chair of the Economics Department. You approached the role with remarkable care, fairness, and dedication, ensuring that every member of the department felt supported and heard. You led with thoughtfulness, professionalism, and generosity of time. The stability and collegiality you fostered allowed the department to thrive during a time of transition. It’s clear that your marathon training came in handy—because you led the department with endurance, focus, and the ability to keep everyone moving forward even when the miles got long. Thankfully, unlike a marathon, you never left anyone trailing behind. I am deeply grateful.” — Professor Silvia Prina
“When the Department of Economics appointed Mike Stone as Chair, I knew him primarily as a kind and thoughtful colleague. I did not yet know what he would be like as a department chair. I did, however, have a good sense of his personality, and I remember thinking that he would manage just fine. What I did not anticipate—much to my pleasant surprise—was that he would do far more than ‘manage.’ Mike did not just survive the role; he truly excelled at it. Under his leadership, the department environment was consistently pleasant, collegial, and even joyful at times. That is not accidental. We often underestimate how difficult it is to take on administrative responsibility, and even more so to do it well—quietly, steadily, and without unnecessary turbulence. Mike managed both with grace. I am especially grateful that he was Chair during the search; his leadership made a demanding process feel constructive and humane. I want to congratulate Mike for doing such an outstanding job, and to thank him sincerely for being my Department Chair.” — Professor Nishith Prakash
