Solving many of the world’s most pressing issues has been a foundational focus for Harvard’s Department of Economics, and its professors’ range and depth of research has resulted in dozens of coveted fellowships and an impressive award list that includes multiple MacArthur Awards, Clark Medals and 11 Nobel Prizes.
This has been true for faculty who are breaking ground in more traditional areas of research like fiscal policy as well as those taking the newer approach of harnessing the power of big data to better understand ground-level economic inequality. With yesterday’s announcement of a transformational gift to bolster the work of the department and provide a new home for faculty and students, Harvard Economics is now poised not only to continue its long legacy of success, but also to build an even more inclusive future. The new building will gather faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates under the same roof, fostering greater collaboration and innovation across the department and with others at the University.
“A lot of people are working on projects that are not just academically interesting and rigorous, but that they hope will change the world — that will affect policy, that will affect the way that firms and governments think about things” said Amanda Pallais, a professor in the department. “Harvard economics is a place where people do very rigorous work, but they’re also doing very impactful work, and they’re tackling the big questions.”
Department Chair Ed Glaeser, the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, added: “In intellectual question after intellectual question, Harvard economists have played leading roles.”