Myrna Wooders
Encyclopedia
Myrna Wooders is a Canadian economist
who has made significant contributions to public economic theory, network theory
and game theory
. Specifically, her work has focused on coalition
theory, public good
theory and club theory. Myrna currently is a Professor of Economics at Vanderbilt University
and the University of Warwick
.
Wooders completed her PhD under Leo Hurwicz. She is editor of the Journal of Public Economic Theory
, Fellow of the Econometric Society
, Charter Member of the Game Theory Society, and the founding editor of Economics Bulletin. She currently serves as an elected member of the Game Theory Society Council and holds the Presidency of the Association of Public Economic Theory.
, there were few books to read; the family was not religious but some summers there was only the Bible
. Myrna had children at a young age, prior to undergraduate studies, and became a photographer in another small Alberta town. With her two children in tow, she went on to complete her undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta and her PhD at the University of Minnesota
.
and the theory of local public goods), club theory (especially the relationship between markets and clubs), and coalition theory (particularly cooperative games with many players and their relationship to markets).
Myrna Wooders lives in Nashville, Tennessee
, with her plants. She is the mother of the economist John Wooders,
Professor of Economics of the University of Arizona
.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
who has made significant contributions to public economic theory, network theory
Network theory
Network theory is an area of computer science and network science and part of graph theory. It has application in many disciplines including statistical physics, particle physics, computer science, biology, economics, operations research, and sociology...
and game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
. Specifically, her work has focused on coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
theory, public good
Public good
In economics, a public good is a good that is non-rival and non-excludable. Non-rivalry means that consumption of the good by one individual does not reduce availability of the good for consumption by others; and non-excludability means that no one can be effectively excluded from using the good...
theory and club theory. Myrna currently is a Professor of Economics at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
and the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
.
Wooders completed her PhD under Leo Hurwicz. She is editor of the Journal of Public Economic Theory
Journal of Public Economic Theory
The Journal of Public Economic Theory is a journal of public economics published by Blackwell. Apart from public economic theory and general economics, the research areas of the journal also include public goods, local public goods, club economies, externalities, taxation, growth, public choice,...
, Fellow of the Econometric Society
Econometric Society
The Econometric Society is an international society for the advancement of economic theory in its relation with statistics and mathematics. It was founded on December 29, 1930 at the Stalton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio....
, Charter Member of the Game Theory Society, and the founding editor of Economics Bulletin. She currently serves as an elected member of the Game Theory Society Council and holds the Presidency of the Association of Public Economic Theory.
Early life
Myrna Wooders grew up on a small farm in rural Alberta, Canada. Her father had a ninth grade education—the best one offered when he was a boy—and preferred helping out the neighbors by fixing their machinery to working on his farm. Her mother, who completed grade seven, loved planting and growing trees, flowers and gardens so while the trees have been called "the finest stand of trees in Eastern Alberta", the paying crops did not pay so well. Myrna spent hours each summer, as a small child, carrying water to the trees. She was the tallest of four sisters and that may be why she was chosen to be the farm worker of the bunch. She missed a couple of months of school each year to help on the farm. But much can be learned doing physical labor. Working in a granary during harvest time, leveling out the grain as it fell from the thrasher into the granary, she learned to keep shoveling (it was either that, or be buried alive). Until grade 9, with the discovery of the mailing services of the Library of the University of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, there were few books to read; the family was not religious but some summers there was only the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Myrna had children at a young age, prior to undergraduate studies, and became a photographer in another small Alberta town. With her two children in tow, she went on to complete her undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta and her PhD at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
.
Academic career
Professor Wooders research focuses on public economic theory (particularly tax competitionTax competition
Tax competition, a form of regulatory competition, exists when governments are encouraged to lower fiscal burdens to either encourage the inflow of productive resources or discourage the exodus of those resources...
and the theory of local public goods), club theory (especially the relationship between markets and clubs), and coalition theory (particularly cooperative games with many players and their relationship to markets).
Myrna Wooders lives in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, with her plants. She is the mother of the economist John Wooders,
Professor of Economics of the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.