The American Economic Association has named University of Chicago Booth School of Business Professor Matthew Gentzkow winner of the 2014 John Bates Clark Medal, awarded to an American economist under the age of 40 who is judged to have made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge.
The Clark Medal is considered one of the two most prestigious awards in the field of economics, along with the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, and is named after the American economist John Bates Clark (1847–1938).
“Matt is an exceptional researcher, and it’s great to see him receive this well-deserved recognition,” said Sunil Kumar, dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Operations Management at Chicago Booth. “Matt is the most accomplished of a set of rising stars at Booth who are truly outstanding economists. We have the greatest expectations of him going forward.”
Gentzkow, the Richard O. Ryan Professor of Economics and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow, studies empirical, industrial organization and political economy, with a specific focus on media industries.
Gentzkow’s recent studies include a set of papers that looks at political bias in the news media; a second set of studies that examines the impact of television on society from several perspectives; and a third set that explores questions of persuasion. A full list of those studies is available here.
“Matthew Gentzkow has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the economic forces driving the creation of media products, the changing nature and role of media in the digital environment, and the effect of media on education and civic engagement,” according to the American Economic Association’s Honors and Awards Committee.
“He has been a pioneer in the area of media economics, defining questions appropriate to the changing media landscape. His work is creative without sacrificing quality. He has established himself as a role model in both substance and execution.”
Other members of the University of Chicago community to win the award include Kevin Murphy, Gary Becker, James Heckman and Steven Levitt. Some 40 percent of Clark Medal recipients go on to win the Nobel in Economic Sciences. Past Clark medalists who also won a Nobel include Milton Friedman, Paul Krugman and Kenneth Arrow.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
