Our center and its history reside in the Department of Economics at Purdue. Since our department hired the first professor of economic education in the country in 1957, Lawrence Senesh, we have had a deep tradition of mutually beneficial research, teaching, and engagement with the department.
Economics faculty members are leaders in their respective fields, leading to a long tradition of excellence in research and teaching. Our department also houses the Vernon Smith Experimental Economics Laboratory, named after Nobel Laureate and former Purdue professor Vernon Smith. Professor Smith is one of the pioneers in experimental economics, a methodology that can be put into great effect for both research and teaching. Professors and teachers alike find that classroom experiments can make economic concepts come to life in ways not achievable by lecture alone.