
Edward Balleisen
Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies, Professor of History and Public Policy, Duke University
Edward J. Balleisen is Professor of History and Public Policy and Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies at Duke University. Balleisen’s research explores the historical intersections among law, business, politics, and policy in the modern United States, with a growing focus on the origins, evolution, and impacts of the modern regulatory state. A past president of the Business History Conference, his most recent books are Fraud: An American History from Barnum to Madoff (2017) and the co-edited volume Policy Shock: Recalibrating Risk and Regulation after Oil Spills, Nuclear Accidents, and Financial Crises (2017).
Balleisen has received two undergraduate teaching prizes at Duke, as well as an award for excellence in graduate mentoring. As Vice Provost, he works closely with a diverse set of university-wide institutes and centers to expand opportunities for team-based research and experiential learning that cut across disciplinary boundaries and often involve engagement with external partners. Over the last decade, he also has become deeply engaged with efforts to enhance inclusive, student-centered doctoral training through complementary mentoring and group coaching, heightened exposure to interdisciplinary research, leadership, teamwork, and versatile communications skills, and supports for career diversity. Balleisen holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and an A.B. from Princeton University.