2024 Elected AEA Officers
The American Economic Association is pleased to announce the results from the 2023 Election of Officers for 2024:
Lawrence Katz (president-elect), Nicholas Bloom and Ebonya Washington (vice-presidents), Amanda Kowalski and Lara Shore-Sheppard (members)
President-Elect
LAWRENCE F. KATZ, Elisabeth Allison Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Statement of Purpose: Economics possesses rigorous tools to deepen our understanding of the social world and inform policy. But our field is more effective when it provides a respectful and intellectually stimulating environment to attract, value, and retain a diverse pool of talent. The AEA has made recent strides through a professional code of conduct, conflict of interest policies, a broader range of association publication options, and efforts to improve research transparency including the AEA Data Editor and RCT Registry. We can do more. I am excited to work with the AEA executive committee and membership to expand diversity and inclusion, foster a respectful professional climate, improve the operation of the job market for economists, and highlight the breadth of our field. I will work for progress on emerging issues concerning data privacy standards, data access, online and survey data collection approaches, and helping economists learn from advances and methods in other disciplines.
Previous and Present Positions: Elisabeth Allison Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Harvard University, 2003–; Professor of Economics, 1991–2003; Associate Professor of Economics, 1990–91; Assistant Professor of Economics, 1986–90; Co-Scientific Director and Co-Founder, J-PAL North America, 2013–22; Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Labor, 1993–94; Founding Director, NBER Program on Children, 1992, 1994–96; Assistant Professor, School of Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1985–86.
Degrees: Ph.D., Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985; A.B., Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 1981.
Publications: "Why Do Sectoral Employment Training Programs Work? Lessons from WorkAdvance," (with Roth, Hendra, and Schaberg), Journal of Labor Economics, 2022; "The Fall of the Labor Share and the Rise of Superstar Firms," (with Autor, Dorn, Patterson, and Van Reenen), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2020; "The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children: New Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment," (with Chetty and Hendren), AER, 2016; "Dynamics of the Gender Gap for Young Professionals in the Financial and Corporate Sectors," (with Bertrand and Goldin), AEJ: Applied Economics, 2010; The Race between Education and Technology, (with Goldin), Harvard University Press, 2008; "Experimental Analysis of Neighborhood Effects," (with Kling and Liebman), Econometrica, 2007; "The Power of the Pill: Oral Contraceptives and Women’s Career and Marriage Decisions," (with Goldin), Journal of Political Economy, 2002; "Computing Inequality: Have Computers Changed the Labor Market?," (with Autor and Krueger), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1998; "Changes in Relative Wages, 1963–1987: Supply and Demand Factors," (with Murphy), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1992; "Regional Evolutions," (with Blanchard), Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 1992; "Cyclical Unemployment: Sectoral Shifts or Aggregate Disturbances?", (with Abraham), Journal of Political Economy, 1986.
AEA Offices, Committee Memberships, and Honors: Vice President, 2019; Executive Committee, 2006–08; Chair, Oversight Committee for Registry of Randomized Controlled Trials, 2012–; Editor Search Committees: AER 2021 (Chair), AEJ: Applied Economics 2006 and 2019, JEL 2009, JEP 2008; Nominating Committee, 2020; Advisory Committee on Editorial Appointments, 2006–09 (Chair 2008); Committee for Oversight of Operations and Publications, 2009–10; Program Committee for AEA Meetings, 2006 and 2020; Invited Lecture on “Recent Developments in Labor Economics,” AEA Meetings, 1992.
Other Affiliations and Honors: Editor, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1991–; Research Associate, NBER, 1990–; Faculty Research Fellow, NBER, 1985–90; Affiliated Professor, JPAL, 2013–; Research Fellow, IZA, 2009–; Jacob Mincer Award for Lifetime Achievements in Labor Economics, Society of Labor Economists, 2022; IZA Prize in Labor Economics, 2020; Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences, 2014–; Elected Fellow, American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 2012–; Elected Fellow, Society of Labor Economists, 2005–; Elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2000–; Elected Fellow, Econometric Society, 1993–; President, Society of Labor Economists, 2012–13; Susan C. Eaton Scholar–Practitioner Award, LERA, 2009; Global Leader of Tomorrow, World Economic Forum, Inaugural Class, 1993; Member, Board of Directors, MDRC, 2009–; Member, Board of Trustees, Russell Sage Foundation, 2009–19; Member, Panel of Economic Advisors, Congressional Budget Office, 2004–16; Mediator (pro bono) for various labor disputes and collective bargaining negotiations, Harvard University, 2001–23.
Vice-Presidents
NICHOLAS (NICK) BLOOM, Eberle Professor of Economics, Stanford University
Statement of Purpose: I would focus on the AEA's activities around (i) running the journals, (ii) running the annual conference, and (iii) supporting auxiliary groups and services. On the journals the rapid turn-around time is critical. Over the last decades the AEA journals have been driving faster response, which is great and puts pressure on other journals, and I would support building on this. AEA journals have also opened up the editorial process with public nominations and boards, which hopefully moves other non-AEA journals to follow. The ASSA conference is a key venue for academic, policy and industry economists to meet and I would focus on supporting the growth of this and trying to limit fees growth. Finally, on services, the AEA can facilitate this through providing organizational and financial support to groups like CSWEP and CSQIEP, funding the RCT registry, and the data replication service.
Previous and Present Positions: Eberle Professor of Economics (2009–), Assistant Professor of Economics (2005–09), Stanford University; LSE Center for Economic Performance (2003–05, UK); McKinsey (2002–03, UK); HM Treasury (2001–02, UK); Institute for Fiscal Studies (1996–2001, UK).
Degrees: Ph.D. University College London, 2001; MPhil Oxford University, 1996; B.A. Cambridge University, 1994.
Publications: “Competition and Innovation: an Inverted U Relationship,” (with Aghion, Blundell, Griffith and Howitt), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2005; “Uncertainty and investment dynamics,” (with Bond and van Reenen), Review of Economic Studies, 2007; “The organization of firms across countries,” (with Sadun and Van Reenen), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2012; “Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment,” (with Liang, Roberts and Ying), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2013; “The new empirical economics of management,” (with Lemos, Scur, Sadun and Van Reenen), Journal of the European Economics Association, 2014; “Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty,” (with Baker and Davis), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2016; “Firming up inequality,” (with Guvenen, Price, Song and Von Wachter), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2019; “What drives differences in management?” (with Brynjolfsson, Foster, Saporta, Jarmin and Van Reenen), AER, 2019; “Does uncertainty drive growth? Using disasters as natural experiments,” (with Baker and Terry), forthcoming Review of Economic Studies; “The finance uncertainty multiplier,” (with Alfaro and Lin), forthcoming Journal of Political Economy.
AEA Offices, Committee Memberships, and Honors: AEA Executive Committee, 2017–19, Budget and Finance Committee, 2017–19, JEL Board of Editors, 2010–12; JEP Board of Editors, 2016–18; AEJ: Macro Board of Editors, 2009–12; Program Committee, 2014.
Other Affiliations and Honors: Guggenheim Fellow 2022; Bernacer Prize 2012, Frisch Medal 2010, NBER Program Co-Director (Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2011–), Michigan State Dunaway Lectures, NYU CV Starr Lectures, Helsinki Yrjo–Jahnsson Lectures, UPF CREI Lectures, Oxford Hicks Lectures.
EBONYA L. WASHINGTON, the Laurans A. and Arlene Mendelson Professor of Economics and Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Statement of Purpose: As the 2019 AEA Climate Survey makes clear, economics is too often an unwelcoming profession even for those of us with many years of experience as insiders. I have been involved with many mentoring programs aimed at helping underrepresented people reshape themselves to survive in economics’ hostile environment. These programs are important and necessary, but wholly insufficient. If economics has any hope for future relevance as society’s conversations and concerns diversify, it’s the profession that needs to change. I’m running for office to work from the inside to widen the perspectives and perceptions of the leaders and gatekeepers of this profession. As my co-authored qualitative work in the 2020 JEP makes clear, continuing on with the status quo means that good ideas and good people will continue to be lost from our ranks.
Previous and Present Positions: Laurans A. and Arlene Mendelson Professor of Economics and Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, 2022–; Co-Director, Political Economy Program, NBER, 2021–; Samuel C. Park Junior Professor of Economics, Yale University, 2018–22, previously Full/Associate/Assistant Professor, Yale University, 2004–18; Research Associate (previously Faculty Research Fellow), NBER, 2004–; Post-Doctoral Lecturer, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003–04.
Degrees: Ph.D. in Economics, MIT, 2003; B.A. with honors in public policy, Brown University.
Publications: “Political Alignment, Attitudes toward Government and Tax Evasion” (with Cullen and Turner), AEJ: Economic Policy, 2021; “How You Can Work to Increase the Presence and Improve the Experience of Black, Latinx and Native American People in the Economics Profession” (with Bayer and Hoover), JEP, 2020; “Why Did the Democrats Lose the South? Bringing New Data to an Old Debate” (with Kuziemko), AER, 2018; “Support for Redistribution in an Age of Rising Inequality: New Stylized Facts and Some Tentative Explanations” (with Ashok and Kuziemko), Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2015; “Valuing the Vote: The Redistribution of Voting Rights and State Funds Following the Voting Rights Act of 1965” (with Cascio), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2014; Does Less Income Mean Less Representation?” (with Brunner and Ross), AEJ: Economic Policy, 2013; “Do Majority-Black Districts Limit Blacks’ Representation? The Case of the 1990 Redistricting,” Journal of Law and Economics, 2012; “The First of the Month Effect: Consumer Behavior and Store Responses” (with Hastings), AEJ: Economic Policy, 2010; “Sticking with Your Vote: Cognitive Dissonance and Political Attitudes” (with Mullainathan), AEJ: Applied Economics, 2009; “Female Socialization: How Daughters Affect Their Legislator Fathers’ Voting on Women’s Issues,” AER, 2008; “How Black Candidates Affect Voter Turnout,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2006.
AEA Offices, Committee Memberships, and Honors: Co-Chair, Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession, 2018– (member, 2014–16); JEP Editor Search Committee, 2020; Editorial Board, AEJ: Economic Policy, 2019–; Associate Editor, JEP, 2017–22; AEA Program Committee, 2016.
Other Affiliations and Honors: Econometric Society Fellow, elected 2021; American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member, elected 2021; NBER Working Group on Race and Stratification in the Economy Steering Committee, 2020–; Associate Editor, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2014–; Foreign Editor, Review of Economic Studies, 2014–20; Associate Editor, Journal of the European Economic Association, 2013–17; National Science Foundation Economics Advisory Panel and Ad Hoc Reviewer; National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2010–15.
Executive Committee Members
AMANDA E. KOWALSKI, Gail Wilensky Professor of Applied Economics and Public Policy, Department of Economics, University of Michigan
Statement of Purpose: When I first attended the AEA meetings as a graduate student and former full-time research assistant, I sat in the lobby of the headquarters hotel and marveled at how many economists I saw. It is important that the AEA serves all economists, especially since our ties to the profession often transcend our ties to other institutions. In the past 15 years, I have seen the AEA establish new journals, enhance research reproducibility, and create a professional code of conduct. I would be honored to work on the Executive Committee to address new challenges, such as how to bring the profession together and facilitate widespread access to career advancement opportunities as job market interviews move away from the AEA meetings, how to promote academic integrity as artificial intelligence becomes more useful, and how to attract and serve diverse new constituents as full-time research assistants play a growing role in our research.
Previous and Present Positions: Gail Wilensky Professor of Applied Economics and Public Policy, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, 2018–; Research Associate, Health Care, Aging, and Public Economics, NBER, 2018–; Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Yale University, 2015–18; Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Visiting Research Scholar, Center for Health and Wellbeing, Princeton University, 2017–18; Visiting Associate Professor, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 2015–16; Assistant Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Yale University, 2009–15; Faculty Research Fellow, Health Care, Aging, and Public Economics, NBER, 2009–18; Visiting Scholar, NYU Stern, 2013–15; Okun Model Early Career Fellow in Economic Studies, Brookings Institution, 2011–12; Fellow, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, USC, 2010; Visiting Fellow, Rand Bing Center, 2009; Post-Doctoral Fellow, Health Care and Aging, NBER, 2008–09; Research Assistant in Health and Labor, Council of Economic Advisers, 2003–04.
Degrees: Ph.D. Economics, MIT 2008; A.B. Economics, Harvard University 2003.
Publications: “Behaviour within a Clinical Trial and Implications for Mammography Guidelines,” Review of Economic Studies, 2023; “Mammograms and Mortality: How Has the Evidence Evolved?” JEP, 2021; “Long-Term Impacts of Childhood Medicaid Expansions on Outcomes in Adulthood” (with Brown and Lurie), Review of Economic Studies, 2020; “Adverse Selection and an Individual Mandate: When Theory Meets Practice” (with Hackmann and Kolstad), AER, 2015; “Estimating Marginal Returns to Medical Care: Evidence from At-risk Newborns” (with Almond, Doyle, and Williams), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2010.
AEA Offices, Committee Memberships, and Honors: CSWEP Peer Mentor for Mid-Career Economists, 2021; CeMENT Mentor for Junior Faculty, 2018; Excellence in Refereeing Award, AER, 2013.
Other Affiliations and Honors: Board Member, American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon), 2018–; Willard G. Manning Memorial Award for the Best Research in Health Econometrics, 2023; American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon) Medal, 2019; Yale Arthur Greer Memorial Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publication or Research, 2016; NIHCM Research Award, 2016; NSF CAREER Award, 2014; Garfield Economic Impact Award, 2011; HCUP Outstanding Article of the Year Award, 2011; Zellner Thesis Award in Econometrics and Statistics, 2009.
LARA D. SHORE-SHEPPARD, Kimberly A. '96 and Robert R. '62 Henry Professor of Economics and Dean of the Faculty, Williams College
Statement of Purpose: The AEA’s future will be shaped by which undergraduates study economics today. As department chair, and now Dean of the Faculty, I have worked closely with colleagues to broaden the pipeline, launching successful initiatives to advance diversity. I am eager to help the AEA build on its recent progress and implement evidence-based best practices so that economists from all backgrounds can thrive. I have also consistently aimed to share economic methods and research results with other disciplines, working closely with other social scientists, serving as chair of an interdisciplinary program, and editing a journal issue with a political scientist. In my research, I focus on the effects and effectiveness of U.S. social programs. Now more than ever it is crucial that policy decisions be based on sound economic research. The work of the AEA is vital and I am excited by the possibility of contributing directly to its continued success.
Previous and Present Positions: Kimberly A. '96 and Robert R. '62 Henry Professor of Economics, Williams College, 2017–; Dean of the Faculty, Williams College, 2023–; Chair, Department of Economics, Williams College, 2019–22; Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2012–; Professor of Economics, Williams College, 2010–17; Associate Professor of Economics, Williams College, 2004–10; Assistant Professor of Economics, Williams College, 2000–04; Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1996–2000; Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research, 1999–2012; Lecturer in Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, 1995–96.
Degrees: Ph.D., Economics, Princeton University, 1996; B.A. magna cum laude, Economics/Asian Languages and Civilizations, Amherst College, 1991.
Publications: “The Effect of Safety Net Generosity on Maternal Mental Health and Risky Health Behaviors,” (with Schmidt and Watson), Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, forthcoming; “The Social, Political, and Economic Effects of the Affordable Care Act,” (with Campbell) RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 2020; “The Effect of Safety Net Programs on Food Insecurity,” (with Schmidt and Watson), Journal of Human Resources, 2016; “The Employment Dynamics of Disadvantaged Women: Evidence from the SIPP,” (with Ham and Li), Journal of Labor Economics, 2016; “The Effect of Medicaid Payment Rates on Access to Dental Care Among Children,” (with Buchmueller and Orzol), American Journal of Health Economics, 2015; “Estimating Heterogeneous Take-up and Crowd-Out Responses to Existing Medicaid Limits and Their Nonmarginal Expansions,” (with Ham and Ozbeklik), Journal of Human Resources, 2014; “Stemming the Tide? The Effect of Expanding Medicaid Eligibility on Health Insurance Coverage,” B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy (Advances), 2008; “The Effect of Medicaid Expansions for Low-Income Children on Medicaid Participation and Private Insurance Coverage: Evidence from the SIPP,” (with Ham), Journal of Public Economics, 2005; “Using Discontinuous Eligibility Rules to Identify the Effects of the Federal Medicaid Expansions on Low Income Children,” (with Card), Review of Economics and Statistics, 2004; “Medicaid and Crowding Out of Private Insurance: A Re-examination Using Firm-Level Data,” (with Buchmueller and Jensen), Journal of Health Economics, 2000.
AEA Offices, Committee Memberships, and Honors: CSWEP: CeMENT mentor, 2008; mentoring activities at national and regional meetings (various years); newsletter contributor, 2004.
Other Affiliations and Honors: Visiting Scholar, Russell Sage Foundation, 2022–23; Visiting Research Scholar, Princeton University Industrial Relations Section, 2011–12; Visiting Scholar, University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research, 1999–2000.