Cecilia Rouse: Early Life and Education, Career, Published Works

Dr. Cecilia Rouse is a distinguished labor economist known for her expertise in education economics and equality. She served as the chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) from 2021 to 2023, becoming the first Black chairperson of the CEA since its inception in 1946. Rouse's tenure concluded in 2023, with Jared Bernstein succeeding her.

Rouse's academic and professional pursuits have contributed to understanding education, workforce discrimination, and the financial hardships of individuals and families. She has held notable positions, including the dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a member of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. She founded the Princeton Education Research Section and is associated with prestigious institutions such as the American Philosophical Society and the National Academy of Education. Following her departure from the CEA, Rouse assumed the presidency of the Brookings Institution in January 2024.

Early Life and Education

On Dec. 18, 1963, Rouse was born in Walnut Creek, Cali., and grew up in Del Mar, along with her two siblings. Her mother, Lorraine Rouse, was a school psychologist. Her father, the late Carl Rouse, studied physics, earning his doctorate at Caltech University. He was the first Black man admitted to the prestigious physics department at the university and worked at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Rouse graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1981 and then attended Harvard University for both her undergraduate and graduate degree. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1986 and a doctorate in economics in 1992.

Rouse initially aimed for a career in engineering, but her path shifted when she took the popular freshman course, Social Analysis 10 or "Ec 10," igniting her passion for economics. Graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, Rouse distinguished herself through both academic prowess and her diverse interests. For example, she took courses in French and Farsi, participated in university orchestras as a piano and flute player, and was instrumental in starting wine tasting sessions in Adams House.

Notable Deeds and Career

Before her government service, Rouse had a distinguished academic career, starting as an economics and public affairs professor at Princeton University in 1992. She was later appointed as the dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs in 2012. Throughout her career, Rouse has authored numerous influential articles on economic policy issues.

Rouse was confirmed as the chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers by the Senate on March 2, 2021, after being nominated by President Joe Biden, and was sworn into office by Vice President Kamala Harris on March 12, 2021. In this role, she provided President Biden with crucial economic advice on both domestic and international policies. Rouse was on the CEA in the first two years of the Obama-Biden administration, when she helped design policies to encourage employers to boost hiring and argued for more fiscal stimulus to aid the recovery after the 2007–2009 recession.

Rouse assumed the presidency of the Brookings Institution in January 2024. This Washington, D.C.-based economic think tank conducts nonpartisan research with the goal of improving policy and governance at the local, national, and global levels. Before taking on this role, she served as the senior editor of "The Future of Children," a policy journal that was published by both Princeton and the Brookings Institution.

Published Works

Rouse has written numerous prominent papers, and as of 2024, her writing can be found in 86 publications. Rouse has written influential studies on a variety of subjects, such as the advantages of attending community colleges, gender bias in symphony orchestras, the outcomes of Milwaukee's private school voucher program on learning, how student loan debt influences the career decisions of college graduates, and the benefits of computer-based learning in reading and math.

Personal Life

Rouse's husband is Ford Morrison, the son of the late Toni Morrison and an architect for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and the couple has two daughters. She began to study economics on her mother's advice when she attended Harvard as an undergraduate.

After receiving her undergraduate degree at Harvard, she traveled to Africa, where she studied at L'Université de Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal.

The Bottom Line

Cecilia Rouse has transitioned from an academic career at Princeton University to significant roles in the U.S. government and the nonprofit sector. As the first Black chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers and later as the president of the Brookings Institution, her contributions have impacted economic policy, education, and research. She brings a ton of experience to her job at the Brookings Institute, including previous time on the council as an adviser to the Obama administration.