To: BFI Affiliates and Senior Administrators
From: Katherine Baicker, Provost
Subject: Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Leadership Update
Date: March 25, 2025
It is my great pleasure to announce the appointment of John A. List, the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics, as director of the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, effective July 1.
A leading expert in microeconomics, field experiments, and the science of scaling, John’s research spans market dynamics, incentive structures, behavioral economics, charitable giving and generosity, early childhood education, and the gig economy. He has authored nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles and several books, including two bestsellers: The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life and The Voltage Effect: Making Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale.
An elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the Econometric Society, John has received numerous honors, including the Arrow Prize for Senior Economists, the Kenneth Galbraith Award, the Yrjo Jahnsson Lecture Prize, and the Klein Lecture Prize. He has also received honorary doctorates from Tilburg University and the University of Ottawa. John has served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers and is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
A UChicago faculty member since 2005, John served as chair of the Department of Economics from 2012 to 2018. He previously held faculty positions at the University of Central Florida, the University of Arizona, and the University of Maryland. John holds a PhD from the University of Wyoming and a BS from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, both in economics.
John succeeds Erik Hurst, Roman Family Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and John E. Jeuck Faculty Fellow, who has served as director since January 2024. During his tenure, Erik continued to advance the mission of BFI by expanding existing programs and launching exciting new efforts, including a Data Studio Lab, a Master Class in Chicago Price Theory, the annual Growth Academy, a Gary Becker discussion series, and other initiatives.
I am confident that under John’s leadership, BFI will continue its strong tradition of advancing pioneering research and ideas to address the world’s most pressing economic challenges. Please join me in congratulating John on his new role and thanking Erik for his outstanding leadership of BFI.