David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, announced Friday the appointment of Michael Wasylenko as Maxwell Advisory Board Professor of Economics. This appointment recognizes his extraordinary service to the Maxwell School.

Wasylenko, a professor of economics and a senior research associate at the Center for Policy Research, served nearly 20 years as associate dean and senior associate dean before announcing  plans last fall to return to full-time teaching and research. Moreover, he has, in Van Slyke’s words, “a long relationship with the Maxwell School: from his time as a graduate student earning his PhD in economics, to when he ultimately returned to Syracuse University as an associate professor of economics in 1986. In the 31 years since his return, Mike has done every job in the building.” Among which include director of graduate studies, associate director of Metropolitan Studies Program, chair of the Economics Department, and interim dean. “Mike is selfless, humble, earnest and deeply committed to: high quality teaching and enriching the student experience; scholarship that is rigorous and relevant; finding solutions to contemporary policy challenges facing governments around the world; and mentoring generations of students, public servants, instructors, scholars, and administrators.”

In addition to his long and distinguished record of service in various leadership positions at the Maxwell School, Wasylenko specializes in public finance issues and has published extensively on state and local finance, firm location, tax incentives, and population decentralization within metropolitan areas. He co-authored Foreign Investment in the United States: Issues, Magnitudes, and Location Choice of New Manufacturing Plants, 1978 to 1987, and is author or co-author of over 70 journal articles, book chapters, technical papers, and invited reviews. He has worked on fiscal policy in a number of states, including Arizona, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and most recently Connecticut. He has also worked internationally in Egypt, Hungary, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, and Thailand. Wasylenko received his PhD in economics from Syracuse University in 1975.

Maxwell Advisory Board Chair Ronald O’Hanley added, “In a University setting, most of the attention is rightfully focused on students and faculty. Few understand or appreciate the incredible work that happens behind the curtain to ensure that the student and faculty experience is first-rate. For 31 years, Mike Wasylenko has served and enabled Maxwell to deliver the outcomes for which it is so widely recognized. In a period of diminished resources and increased competition, he has positioned Maxwell to meet and exceed rising expectations. The Maxwell Advisory Board salutes and thanks Mike for his service and looks forward to his ongoing contributions as part of the faculty.”

05/18/17