The American Economic Association is proud to announce the recipients of the following honors and awards who were recognized at the AEA award ceremonies held during the 2025 ASSA Meeting.

AEA Distinguished Service Award

The recipient of the 2024 AEA Distinguished Service Award is Rachel T.A. Croson, University of Minnesota, for her significant contributions to economics through her varied and numerous leadership roles. Among her contributions, she was one of the principal investigators on the National Science Foundation grant that led to the creation of CeMENT workshops for junior women faculty in economics.  Dr. Croson has also served as a mentor to countless female economists. Visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards/distinguished-service-award for more information.

AEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion

The winners of the 2024 AEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion are the Center for Advancing Women in Economics (AWE) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and the Department of Economics at Spelman College. The award recognizes departments and organizations for outstanding achievement in diversity and inclusion practices.

AWE dedicates its efforts to increasing diversity within economic research and policymaking with several initiatives to connect and support women in economics. The center also hosts inclusive networking events, promotes junior economists’ work, and facilitates research-practice connections through its annual conference. AWE exemplifies a commitment to fostering an equitable and supportive environment for women in economics.

The economics department at Spelman College is committed to advancing diversity within the profession, particularly among Black women. Through many programs, Spelman has created pathways for underrepresented students to excel in economics. As the top producer of Black women with undergraduate economics degrees, the department boasts high retention rates and alumni success in graduate programs and influential roles. Spelman continues to innovate with initiatives addressing the intersection of race and economics, exemplifying its commitment to equity and excellence.

The steps taken by each of these organizations to create a more welcoming and supportive environment align with the AEA's Best Practices for Economists Building a More Diverse, Inclusive, and Productive Profession. For more information and to read the applications, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards/outstanding-achieve-diversity-inclusion.

AEA Distinguished Economic Education Award

The recipient of the 2024 AEA Distinguished Economic Education Award is Wendy Stock, Montana State University. Professor Stock has made significant contributions to all areas of economic education for more than 25 years. Her scholarship includes a 15-year project studying many facets of and factors related to doctoral programs in economics. She has also written about trends in college majors and the impact of student-led recitation classes on learning. In addition to her outstanding research, Professor Stock is recognized as an excellent teacher and mentor and has a strong record of service to the discipline. Her service includes multiple terms on the AEA’s Committee on Economic Education and Committee on the Job Market, seven years as an associate editor for the Journal of Economic Education, and nearly two decades as the director of the AEA Graduate Studies in Economics website. Visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards/distinguished-economic-education-award for more information.

Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession Awards

The 2024 Professional Development Grant for URM Faculty was awarded to Elaine Tontoh from Austin Peay State University, whose essay discusses the use of the Triple Day Thesis, which theorizes women's multifaceted work as mothers in three areas: reproductive, waged, and self-reproductive work. This assignment focuses on the inherent time scarcity that women face. The $2,000 grant is awarded to a junior URM economist based on an essay about how their research relates to economics education. The AEA is proud to partner with Pearson Education on this important initiative. For more information, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/csmgep/diversity-initiatives/urm-professional-development-grant.

The 2024 Andrew Brimmer Undergraduate Essay Prize winner is Salma M. Abdi at the University of Minnesota. Her essay, "Racist Infrastructure: Impact of the Interstate Highway System on Black Neighborhoods", critiques the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act, which displaced Black communities under the guise of urban renewal. Abdi discusses how the highway system exploited tactics, such as redlining and racial covenants, to route highways through predominantly Black neighborhoods deemed “blighted.” Eminent domain allowed the government to seize homes from Black families at below-market prices without relocation support, stripping them of critical wealth-building opportunities in home equity. For more information about the essay prize, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards/brimmer-undergrad-essay-prize.

Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession Award

The recipient of the 2024 CSQIEP Award for Outstanding Research Paper in LGBTQ+ Economics is Marcus Dillender, Vanderbilt University, for his paper entitled “Evidence and Lessons on the Health Impacts of Public Health Funding from the Fight against HIV/AIDS”, American Economic Review, Volume 113, July 2023. Dillender’s paper studies the impact of federal funds allocated to U.S. cities through the U.S. federal government’s primary mechanism for combating HIV in the United States—the Ryan White CARE Act. His paper represents one of the first studies to credibly estimate the causal effects of federal public health funding on health outcomes. This award is given for the best published economics research paper in LGBTQ+ Economics. For more information, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/aealgbtq/csqiep-award.

Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession Awards

The 2024 Carolyn Shaw Bell Award recipient is Sandra E. Black, Columbia University. Over her exemplary career, Professor Black has provided vital support for women in economics at every stage, from undergraduate to tenured professor, while advancing a highly influential research agenda. She has contributed as an editor of leading journals, founded the NBER program on economic mobility, and served as a Member on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Professor Black has a significant record of service to the profession, including serving on the Executive Committees of the AEA and the Society of Labor Economists, the AEA's Standing Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Professional Conduct, and the Board of CSWEP. Her research, mentorship, and leadership continue to create lasting, positive impacts on the status of women in the economics profession. For more information about the Carolyn Shaw Bell Award and for the full prize announcement, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/cswep/awards/bell.

The recipient of the 2024 Elaine Bennett Research Prize is Maryam Farboodi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Farboodi is an applied theorist whose research focuses on the economics of big data with applications to finance and macroeconomics. She has developed methodologies to estimate the value of data. In addition, Professor Farboodi studies intermediation and network formation among financial institutions, and the spillovers to the real economy. She is also interested in how information frictions shape local and global economic cycles. Most recently, her research has also focused on understanding the covid-19 pandemic and associated policies. In her work, Professor Farboodi identifies the key questions of our times and provides conceptual frameworks to address them. For more information about the Elaine Bennett Research Prize and for the full prize announcement, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/cswep/awards/bennett.

Spring Awards Recognized

In addition to the above awards, the 2024 John Bates Clark Medalist Philipp Strack; Distinguished Fellows William A. “Sandy” Darity, Jr., Bronwyn H. Hall, John Haltiwanger, and Margaret C. Simms; Foreign Honorary Members Michihiro Kandori, Jean-Charles Rochet, Hyun Song Shin, and Silvana Tenreyro; and the AEJ Best Paper Award winners were recognized. These awards were announced in April as part of the Spring awards cycle. Visit https://www.aeaweb.org/news/press-release-awards-2024 for the announcement of these awards.

Please join the AEA in congratulating all these winners for their contributions to the economics profession. To view the 2025 AEA Awards ceremonies, visit 2025 AEA Excellence Awards and AEA 2025 Awards Ceremony. For more information on these awards and others, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards.