Kim J. Ruhl
Kim J. Ruhl is the Curt and Sue Culver Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, co-director of the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. From 2025 to 2026, he served as a member and acting vice chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.
Ruhl's research focuses on policy issues broadly related to macroeconomics and international trade. His recent work examines how corporate tax policy affects the incentives for multinational firms to hold profits abroad and studies the aggregate effects of disruptions to international supply chains. An ongoing research agenda studies the effects of uncertainty in U.S. tariff policy on China, including the recent trade war. Ruhl’s work has been published in leading academic journals and has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Ruhl earned a B.S. in Economics from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Minnesota.
Andrew Opdyke, CFA
Andrew is a Senior Economist and a member of the First Trust Economics Team that Bloomberg has ranked as one of the top forecasters of the U.S.
economy over the past several years.
At First Trust, Andrew is responsible for analyzing economic indicators, writing economic commentaries and producing articles on the First Trust
Economics Blog. Andrew regularly presents economic commentary to financial professionals, CFA Societies, and Financial Planning Association (FPA)
chapters across the United States. Andrew also provides research and analysis to Chief Economist Brian Wesbury, Chief Market Strategist Bob Carey,
and First Trust CEO Jim Bowen. Cogent’s 2017 Survey of Advisors rated First Trust’s thought leadership material as number one for most read and most
shared by financial professionals with colleagues or clients.
Andrew received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA in Business and Economics from Hope
College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.