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Krugman Commencement Speaker at Bard College at Simon's Rock

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Paul Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics, will address graduates at the 47th commencement ceremony of Bard College at Simon's Rock, The Early College, on Saturday, May 21, at 11 a.m.

The ceremony is free and open to the public; priority seating given to the families of graduates.

Krugman was the sole recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on international trade theory. As one of the founders of the "New Trade Theory"— economic models that focus on the role of increasing returns to scale, among others — he was awarded the John Bates Clark medal by the American Economic Association in 1991, a biennial prize given to an economist under 40 who has made a significant contribution to the field of economics. During the Reagan administration, he worked at the White House as the senior international economist for the President's Council of Economic Advisers.

Krugman, who has long-standing ties to Simon's Rock and Great Barrington, said, "It's a great privilege to speak here on this occasion. Simon's Rock lets students — who are our future — get started on their own future early, and it's a wonderful thing."

"We at Simon's Rock are honored to have a speaker of Dr. Krugman's brilliance and integrity deliver the 2016 keynote address," said Ian Bickford, provost and vice president of Bard College at Simon's Rock. "He will be an inspiration to our graduates, a powerful group of independent thinkers in their own right."



A Distinguished Professor at the City University of New York's Graduate Center, Krugman is also a centenary professor at the London School of Economics. Prior to his appointment at CUNY, he served at Princeton and on the faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Ford International Professor of Economics. He also taught at Yale and Stanford Universities. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1974 and his doctorate from MIT in 1977.

Today's most widely read economist, he's best known for his op-ed column in The New York Times. Touted as "the most important political columnist in America," by The Washington Monthly, he received the Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary in 2011. Before joining The New York Times in 1999, he was a columnist for Fortune Magazine and published articles in The New Republic, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, and The New York Times Magazine. He was chosen as one of Bloomberg's 10 Most Influential Thinkers  (2013), and Bloomberg's 50 Most Influential People in Global Finance (2011). He appeared on Foreign Policy's "Top 100 Global Thinkers" list from 2009 to 2012. In addition to writing over 200 scholarly articles, Dr. Krugman has also written extensively for a broader audience — including editorials in Foreign Affairs, Harvard Business Review, Slate, and Scientific American.

A prolific author, he received high praise for "The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008" and "End This Depression Now," which both became New York Times bestsellers. He named his New York Times blog after one of his 23 books, "The Conscience of a Liberal."

He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of the Group of Thirty. Krugman served as a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, as well as to a number of countries including Portugal and the Philippines.


Tags: bard college,   commencement,   graduation 2016,   

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Lt. Governor Driscoll Visits Great Barrington Businesses

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Housing Secretary Ed Augustus and state Rep. Leigh Davis are ready to chop wood out back of Pleasant and Main. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll did some holiday shopping on Main Street last week after announcing millions of federal Community Development Block Grant funds

She was glad to see an array of small-business owners thriving, and the eclectic items that Great Barrington has to offer. 

"We know that the vibrancy of communities can often be defined by what's happening on Main Street," she said. 

"It's great to be here in Great Barrington and see so many independent entrepreneurs who are running really, not only fun, but businesses that are doing well, and we want to try and find ways to uplift and support that work moving forward." 

State Rep. Leigh Davis coordinated a business tour with Pleasant and Main Cafe and General Store, Robbie's Community Market, and Butternut Ski Mountain. While downtown, Driscoll also stopped at Coco's Candy and Rob's Records and Audio. 

Earlier that day, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $33.5 million in federal CDBG funds at the Housatonic Community Center. Great Barrington, in conjunction with Egremont and Stockbridge, has been allocated $ 1.25 million to rehabilitate approximately 14 housing units.  A new Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Community designation for its Housing Choice Initiative was also launched. 

Davis emphasized the significance of the state announcing these dollars in the small village of Housatonic.  

Craig Bero, founder of Pleasant and Main, prepared desserts and hors d'oeuvres for the group at his cozy cafe across the street from the Housatonic Community Center. Bero opened more than a decade ago after migrating from New York City, and Pleasant and Main offers sustainable, organic meals for an affordable price while enjoying the museum of antiques that is the restaurant. 

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