Dr. Gerard "Jerry" Russo

The East-West Center Association extends its deepest sympathy to Dr. Jerry Russo’s family. Jerry was a very important contributor to the East-West Center community and he will be greatly missed.  His obituary was published on the Delaware Online, here’s an excerpt:

Jerry was born in Wilmington, the son of Rachela Carroccia Russo and the late Louis V. Russo II and graduated from Salesianum High School. Jerry received three degrees in economics: B.A. from George Washington University in 1977, M.A. from University of Delaware in 1981, and Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1989. Jerry joined the faculty of the Department of Economics, University of Haeaii-Manoa in 1987 and quickly became the state’s premier health economist.

Jerry was widely known for his service contributions to the Department of Economics and University of Hawaii. He served as chair of the graduate program of the UH Department of Economics from 1997 to 2001 and as chair of the Department from 2007 to 2010. He served as chair of the UH-Manoa Arts and Sciences Faculty Senate Executive Committee and as a member of the UH-Mona Faculty Senate and All Campus Council of Faculty Senate Chairs.

For many years Jerry held a joint appointment as a Fellow at the East-West Center’s Program on Population. His lectures on health economics provided inspiration and challenges to hundreds of young academics and government officials working in the field of health care.

Jerry is survived by his wife Mary Sellers Russo and his daughter Alexandra Russo both of Honolulu, mother Rachela C. Russo of Delaware, and brothers Louis (Michele) Russo of Arizona, David (Cathy) Russo of Delaware, Bruce (Barbara) Russo of Delaware, and Richard (Judy) Russo of Delaware.