Student Profile: Stone Washington

Stone Washington is a PhD candidate at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. His research focuses on economics, regulation and administrative law, and he has been a frequent collaborator with the Regulatory Studies Center.

In his current role, Stone is Senior Economist for the Small Business Administration Office of the National Ombudsman. He conducts economic and legal analyses of federal enforcement actions targeting small businesses. The Ombudsman’s Office is tasked with intercepting and renegotiating federal regulatory actions that are perceived to be excessive or unreasonably punitive for small business concerns.

Among recent projects at SBA, Stone produced a cost-savings report on guidance by the Environmental Protection Agency which quantified $13.8 billion in savings through eliminating the use of problematic sensors for diesel injected vehicles. “The deregulatory move and accompanying report were touted by President Trump at a March 29 White House speech to farmers,” said Stone. 

Stone also served as a research fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) for over three years, pursuing a focus in financial regulation, ESG policies, and agency adjudication. His series of three authored policy reports on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s climate disclosure rule became part of a wave of pushback that recently prompted the SEC to rescind its rule.

Coursework in the Trachtenberg program was key in preparing Stone for his rising career in economic policy. Especially relevant were the classes in Law & the Public Administrator, Microeconomics II for Public Policy; Politics & Public Policy; Literature of Public Administration, and Econometrics II. “Several of these classes helped me better understand the fundamentals of agency adjudication from a public administration perspective, while one of these courses allowed me to enhance my knowledge of formal vs. informal adjudication.”

Looking back on his time at GW, Stone feels fortunate to have such proximity to federal agencies, Congress, and the White House as a central part of his studies. “I wouldn’t enjoy such a strong public policy and public administration curriculum without studying at George Washington.” The presence of the Regulatory Studies Center is also a special and unique opportunity, he noted. “I am grateful for the wise advice and mentorship of Professor Susan Dudley, and I’m excited to see Will Yeatman take the helm as RSC Director. I have relied on Will’s writings regarding agency adjudication in times past.”

The Regulatory Studies Center team looks forward to new influential reports by Stone as he closes in on his doctoral degree! Surely, future opportunities for collaboration await.