Lawrence has already satisfied those investigations, the president has signed his nomination and the Senate's final approval is still forthcoming, according to Lawrence.

Lawrence declined to comment on how long he anticipated waiting for his final approval, but Frankel said the entire process from nomination to approval has, in recent years, taken about a year to complete. In Frankel's case, approval came nearly eight months after his nomination.

If approved, Lawrence will join CEA Chair Janet L. Yellen, who served as an assistant professor at Harvard in the 1970's, and CEA member Rebecca M. Blank, an economics professor on leave from Northwestern University.

Lawrence's duties as a member will include researching CEA activities in certain fields, representing the Council at meetings with other agencies, and working with the CEA chair to formulate economic advice.

Lawrence said has already begun to work with Yellen and Blank in areas such as international economics, international trade, finance and the environment, including researching issues like how to persuade developing countries to actively counteract greenhouse gases.

In the past week, Lawrence said he has met with Japan's prime minister and Japanese sub-cabinet officials to discuss some of these issues.

Stanfield Professor of International Peace Robert D. Putnam, who appointed Lawrence while he was dean of KSG, said he is proud to have recruited Lawrence, whom he calls "a splendid international economist and local colleague."