Scott Ross Baker

Scott R. Baker is an Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Wisconsin's Wisconsin School of Business and a Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He previously held positions at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management from 2014 to 2024, advancing from Assistant to Associate Professor. His research specializes in empirical finance and macroeconomics, with particular focus on household financial decision-making, economic policy uncertainty, consumption measurement, and cryptocurrency impacts.

Education

• Ph.D. in Economics, Stanford University, 2014
• M.A. in Economics, Stanford University, 2011
• B.A. in Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 2007 (Highest Honors)
• B.A. in Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, 2007 (Highest Honors)

Research Focus

Baker's work integrates high-frequency household data with macroeconomic analysis to examine:

• Behavioral responses to fiscal policies and economic shocks
• Measurement methodologies for consumption and uncertainty
• Cryptocurrency adoption and wealth effects
• Regional variations in economic policy impacts
• Taxation efficiency and consumer behavior

His publications demonstrate consistent innovation in data sourcing, including financial transaction records, social media analytics, and administrative datasets.

Publication Trends

Recent articles (2020-2025) cluster around crisis economics, with significant contributions on COVID-19 impacts, stimulus effectiveness, and pandemic uncertainty. Emerging themes include cryptocurrency markets, sports betting consequences, and subnational policy analysis. Methodologically, Baker emphasizes natural experiments, real-time data, and measurement innovation.

Awards and Recognition

• Sidney J. Levy Teaching Award (2022)
• Campbell Visiting Fellowship at Hoover Institution
• Excellence in Refereeing (American Economic Review)
• Bradley Research Fellowship (2012-2013)
• Addington Prize in Measurement (2012)
• Stanford Graduate Fellowship (2008-2009)

Professional Engagement

Baker serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Corporate Finance and regularly referees for leading economics journals. He teaches Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital, with prior course development at Kellogg including Field Study supervision and curriculum design for financial data applications.