Steven M. Sheffrin, professor of economics and former dean of the Division of Social Sciences, is leaving UC Davis to accept a position at Tulane University. Starting Jan. 1, he will be the director of the Murphy Institute, which examines economic, moral and political issues, while serving in Tulane’s economics department.

Sheffrin, who was the social sciences dean for 10 years, also served as the director of the Center for State and Local Taxation at UC Davis. He holds a doctorate in economics from MIT.