John August List American economics professor Date of Birth: 25.09.1968 Country: USA

1. Biography of John August List
2. Academic Career
3. Field Experiments and Philanthropy
4. Recognition and Family

Biography of John August List

John August List, an American professor of economics, is a former Homer J. Livingstone Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. He was born on September 25, 1968. List attended Sun Prairie High School and graduated in 1987. He then pursued his education at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, specializing in economics, and excelled in golf as well. He completed his degree in 1992. List also earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming in 1996.

Academic Career

List began his teaching career at the University of Central Florida and later moved to the University of Arizona and the University of Maryland, College Park, holding the position of adjunct professor before relocating to Chicago. He is also a distinguished visiting scholar at Tilburg University and works with the non-profit organization "Resources for the Future" (RFF). From May 2002 to July 2003, he served as a senior economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisers for Environmental and Resource Economics, where he worked on trade disputes between the United States and Canada related to softwood lumber.

Field Experiments and Philanthropy

List is renowned in academic circles for his innovative use of field experiments in economics, inspired by the work of Swedish economist Peter Bohm. He employs field experiments to propose new ideas in various economic domains, including education, social preferences, prospect theory, environmental economics, and more. Some of his experimental research on charitable giving was featured in The New York Times on March 9, 2008. The newspaper article referred to List as a true "rock star" in the field of philanthropy. He conducted many of his philanthropy-related studies while teaching at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Arizona.

Recognition and Family

According to an article in The New York Times, Steven Levitt, an economist from the University of Chicago and the author of "Freakonomics," believes that Dr. List is most deserving of the Nobel Prize. In July 2010, List received the John Kenneth Galbraith Award from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) for his breakthrough discoveries in economics and outstanding contributions to human development through his leadership, research, and employment. In January 2011, he was also honored by the Economics Department of the University of Chicago for his work in field experiments. Economist Tyler Cowen's blog, "Marginal Revolution," referred to List as "one of the most important young economists." Ukrainian-American macroeconomist Greg Mankiw listed List as one of the "top minds" on his blog.

Currently, List resides in Flossmoor, Illinois, with his wife and five children. His wife recently launched a new clothing line called "Seven Smooches." List's children have excelled in mathematics, with his twins, Noah and Eli, achieving first and second place in Illinois state mathematics competitions in 2009 and 2010, respectively, and his daughter Greta being part of the winning team. In addition, the economist's offspring enjoy reading and sports.