Three American University faculty members have been named affiliates of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the nation’s leading organization for independent economic research.

Following a nomination period in January 2025, the directors of the NBER’s 19 research programs recommended appointments of Valentina Bruno, professor, American University Kogod School of Business, Brandyn Churchill, assistant professor, and Valentina Duque, assistant professor, both of whom are in AU’s School of Public Affairs (SPA).

Founded in 1920, NBER is a private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and sharing its findings with academics, public policy makers, and the business community. NBER affiliates participate in one of the organization’s 20 research programs, studying issues that have profound effects on society. Forty-one Nobel Prize winners and 14 past chairs of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers hold NBER affiliations.

Professor Bruno was named as one of 19 research associates appointed by NBER’s board of directors, while Professors Churchill and Duque were among 44 faculty research fellow appointments made by NBER President James Poterba. NBER’s 63 new affiliates were drawn from 39 colleges and universities across the nation.

“To be appointed a faculty research fellow by NBER is a tremendous accomplishment for a scholar,” said SPA Interim Dean Alison Jacknowitz. “Brandyn’s and Valentina’s appointments means we now have four NBER fellows at our school, which underscores that our faculty are undertaking important and timely research.”

“Valentina Bruno is an unparalleled scholar,” said David Marchick, Dean of the Kogod School of Business. “Her expertise on 'the Mighty dollar’ is more relevant in today's uncertain world than ever. Her scholarship is sought after by central bankers, regulators, and financiers around the globe.”

Valentina Bruno is professor of Finance and Arlene R. and Robert P. Kogod Eminent Scholar in Finance at the Kogod School of Business. She studies topics at the intersection of macroeconomics and finance with afocus on how global financial markets interact with the real economy. She will be a research associate in the International Finance & Macroeconomics Program.

Brandyn Churchill is an assistant professor at the School of Public Affairs. His research examines the roles of information and cost in healthcare decision-making, with a particular focus on preventive care. Prof. Churchill’s projects also explore how public policies and social comparisons shape self-image and weight-related behaviors. He will be a faculty research fellow in NBER’s Economics of Health Program.

Valentina Duque is an assistant professor at the School of Public Affairs, and her research focuses on the intersection of health development and economics. She specifically looks at  the impact of housing relocation programs  and the health outcomes of children in the developing world. She will be a faculty research fellow in NBER’s Children and Families Program.