2018 Provost’s Scholar-Teacher of Year Award Winner
Robert Margo, of the Department of Economics
Professor Robert Margo exemplifies the three principles of the Boston University Provost’s Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award: a record of ongoing, outstanding research; proven excellence as a teacher; and a professional history of dedication and contributions to the learning arts.
Since joining Boston University in 2005, Professor Robert Margo has emerged as one of the world’s preeminent economic historians, imbuing his research and teaching with a thirst for new knowledge that those in his classes immediately embrace as their own. Professor Margo has been as prolific in his scholarship as he’s been groundbreaking, having published 160 articles, book chapters, and book reviews to date, with much of his work appearing in the most prestigious journals in economics. He has written or co-written six books, was selected to be a Fellow of the Cliometric Society in 2012, and served as the President of the Economics History Association from 2014-2015.
At BU, Professor Margo has devoted himself to growing the field of economic history. He developed the economic history option for PhD students and pioneered the teaching of economic history and race. Professor Margo created two courses cross-listed in Economics and African-American Studies: the undergraduate course “Race and the Development of the American Economy,” and the MA course “African-American Economic History.” In the words of his department chair, “There are no courses on these topics in any other economics department in the United States or the world.”
Students, meanwhile, use words like “awesome,” “extremely passionate,” and “incredibly knowledgeable” to describe Professor Margo. His teaching evaluations are consistently peppered with superlatives. Writes one of his PhD students, “Studying with Professor Margo has been one of the best decisions I have [made] in my life.” From his exceptional, highly original scholarship to his unique course offerings and generosity as an instructor, Professor Robert Margo exemplifies the outstanding research and teaching that this award aims to acknowledge and celebrate.