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Gentzkow, Imbens elected to National Academy of Sciences

SIEPR’s Matthew Gentzkow and Guido Imbens are among eight Stanford faculty newly elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Stanford economists Matthew Gentzkow and Guido Imbens – and six other Stanford faculty — are among the 120 newly elected members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scholars are elected by their peers to the organization, which was created in 1863 to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. The election recognizes outstanding contributions to research.

For Gentzkow and Imbens, both senior fellows at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), their 2022 election to NAS marks another stamp of recognition for their achievements.

Imbens, the Applied Econometrics Professor and Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Business, is known for his pioneering work in econometrics — a method of studying economics using statistics. In 2021, he shared the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences with David Card and Joshua Angrist “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships.” His research focuses on developing methods for drawing causal inferences in observational studies, using matching, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity designs. His work has advanced the field of economic research and has helped inform policymakers in the design and evaluation of policy interventions.

Gentzkow, the Landau Professor of Technology and the Economy in the School of Humanities and Sciences, studies applied microeconomics, empirical industrial organization, and political economy with a focus on the media, politics, and health. In 2014, he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, given by the American Economic Association to the American economist under the age of forty who has made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. Some of Gentzkow’s most notable work centers on the role of media in society and media bias — including whether there is a demand for it. Recently, he has published studies on political polarization, social media use and disinformation, health care disparities, and consumer choices.

The six other Stanford scholars who were elected to NAS this year are: Greg Beroza, the Wayne Loel Professor of Earth Science and professor of geophysics in the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences; Yi Cui, director of the Precourt Institute for Energy, Fortinet Founders Professor, and professor of materials science and engineering; Amir Dembo, the Marjorie Mhoon Fair Professor of Quantitative Science and professor of mathematics and of statistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences; Lance Dixon, a professor of particle physics and astrophysics at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; Leonidas Guibas, the Paul Pigott Professor of Engineering and professor of computer science; and Mark Kasevich, professor of physics and of applied physics in the School of Humanities and Sciences.

This year’s election to NAS brings the total of active academy members to 2,512.

A version of this story was originally published by Stanford News Service on May 6.