Benjamin Malin graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Mathematics and Economics from Iowa State University in 2000. He then went on to complete a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University in 2006, specializing in macroeconomics. He spent 6 years as an economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington DC. Wanting to return to the Midwest where he and his wife grew up, he took up a position as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in 2012.
He now serves as the Vice President for Research at the Minneapolis Fed. In that role, he advises the President of the Minneapolis Federal Serve Bank on economic policies including what positions to take on interest rates and inflation during the meetings of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee chaired by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, arguably the most important events guiding the path of macroeconomic policy in the country.
Dr. Malin has had a highly successful career as a researcher. His work has been highly cited, especially his papers in the top rated general economic journal, the American Economic Review and the Journal of Monetary Economics, the Journal of Public Economics, and the Journal of Development Economics, each being the preeminent journal in that field. His paper with Peter Klenow on “Microeconomic evidence on price setting” in the prestigious Handbook of Monetary Economics has received 668 citations as compiled by Google Scholar. His work on how firms set prices in recessions and expansions has changed how we think of the roles of firm profits in moderating demand shocks over the business cycle.
Dr. Malin has been a repeat visitor to the Economics Department during his career. Along with presenting seminars on his research, he has been very willing to engage with undergraduates regarding careers in the Federal Reserve System and advice on graduate schools. He hosted a group of undergraduates who were attending the Midwest Economics Association meetings in Minneapolis, giving them a personal tour of the Minneapolis Fed.