Please join the Vanderbilt libraries in welcoming new Librarian for Economics, Paul Rosenstein. Paul has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Virginia and graduated with his M.S. in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee this past May. Paul has previous professional experiences as a reference librarian, mitigation specialist for a public defender’s office, substance abuse counselor, and homelessness policy analyst.
Given the interdisciplinary nature of economics, Paul will serve as the library liaison to the College of Arts and Science Department of Economics as well as serving as a member of the Owen Graduate School of Management library team, as both disciplines have seen a recent surge in demand for enhanced electronic data collections and data analysis skills.
When asked how he is settling in, Rosenstein replied “Since beginning at Vanderbilt in early July, I have been impressed by the school’s warm, supportive, and vibrant community. Sue Widmer, the librarian from whom I inherit my liaison responsibilities to the Department of Economics, has been so helpful, allowing me the opportunity to ease into this position over a quiet summer. I eagerly anticipate the hustle and bustle of fall.” He went on to say “Based on conversations with economics department faculty and my extensive experience in the social sciences, publishing and research trends appear to be shifting rapidly. Articles may remain the coin of the realm, but the working paper now seems better suited than the traditional journal publication to our turbulent economic environment. And of course data still matter, but the source, form, and volume of those data continue to advance in new directions. I look forward to helping the Economics department meet these and other challenges.”
In fact, Paul is already busy preparing a two- to three-part instructional series on Stata, a popular statistical software package. He hopes to launch the series later this fall.
The libraries are thrilled Paul is here to share his experience and insight with the Vanderbilt community.