Economists Robert Hall PhD ’67 and Michael Woodford PhD ’83 share Nobel Prize
The MIT alumni are honored for work that illuminates how government policy can spur growth in response to economic downturns.
Department
Economics
Climate Action Learning Lab bridges research and policy for effective climate solutions
J-PAL North America’s Learning Lab supported a second cohort of U.S. government and nonprofit organizations in building and using rigorous evidence to advance effective decarbonization and adaptation strategies.
Meet the 2026 tenured professors in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Faculty members granted tenure in Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Economics, Political Science, and Theater.
Translating economic growth into better lives
Graduate student Lyonel Tanganco investigates how to improve public policy interventions and address challenges in nutrition, climate, and development.
Retooling to help democracy revive
Deindustrialization didn’t only hurt some workers, Daron Acemoglu says in a new book; it shrank the coalition supporting democracy, which needs expanding.
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences welcomes six new faculty for 2026
New professors join the Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Economics, Linguistics, and Music and Theater Arts departments.
David Autor named head of the Department of Economics
A faculty member since 1999, Autor is a leading researcher in artificial intelligence and the work of the future.
Exploring the societal impacts of AI
During the AI and Society Forum, leading MIT researchers examined critical questions about AI’s influence on employment and democracy.
“We can’t ship goods without functioning ports”
PhD student Chelsea Mitchell studies the economic forces that shape shipping ports and their ability to support global supply chains.
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2026-27
Ranking at the top for the 15th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.
A plan to preserve wetlands without stopping development
Study shows the tradeoff between conservation and growth is less stark with a locally adjusted policy featuring both tradeable offsets and taxes.
MIT economist Whitney Newey awarded Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in Economics
Newey has been a leading figure in econometric theory for more than four decades, shaping both research and training in the field.
MIT affiliates elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2026
Six MIT faculty, along with 10 additional alumni, are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research in the natural and social sciences.
Technology usually creates jobs for young, skilled workers. Will AI do the same?
A new study of the postwar U.S. shows which kinds of workers historically filled new tech-enabled jobs.
Two from MIT named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The prestigious fellowship funds graduate studies at Stanford University.