Robert Cumby

What do you think is the greatest challenge in your field?
I think the biggest challenge has been highlighted by the financial crisis and its understanding how capital market frictions influence macroeconomic behavior.

What led you to economics?
I went to college thinking I was going to major in government and become a lawyer, but I took economics as a freshman and thought it was really interesting.

What drew you to Georgetown?
It was a combination of some colleagues that I had known — I spent 11 years at the Stern School at NYU, and I had come to know a couple people here at Georgetown and was quite attracted to the possibility of becoming their colleague and working closely with them. That, and Washington is a wonderful city to live in. Those two things made it a no-brainer.

What do you think is the greatest challenge in teaching?
The most difficult thing is to get students’ attention with all of the other things that they’re doing. They’re busy with lots of personal activities, lots of extracurricular or co-curricular activities, internships and I think the biggest challenge is getting an intense, deep focus rather than a broad, shallow focus.

What would be your ideal course to teach?
I like the ones I teach now, and I really wouldn’t want to give any up.

Do you have any advice for Georgetown students?
I would encourage more students to get to know their professors. Come to them for assistance if it’s needed or greater depth in an area of interest, or the more students interact with the faculty the better their academic experience is going to be. Seeking us out is going to enhance their time here.

Interview by Sheena Karkal