Linda Bilmes

Linda J. Bilmes is the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. After an extensive career in the public and private sector in both the United States and abroad, she joined the Harvard faculty in 2002. Professor Bilmes is a one of the country's foremost experts on public finance and budgetary issues, with a particular focus on the costs of war, veterans' affairs, and the civil service. She has written widely, appeared on many national radio and television broadcasts, and testified before Congress on several occasions. Her recent books include the New York Times bestseller The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict (with Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2008) and The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service (with W. Scott Gould, 2009). Professor Bilmes has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Government from Harvard University.