Alvin E. Roth

Alvin E. Roth is an American economist who has been awarded two Nobel Memorial Prizes in Economic Sciences, each for his contribution to two separate fields of economics. He has had a long and successful career, having written numerous books and worked in various capacities within the field. His career has spanned decades and it is likely that his tremendous accomplishments will continue to be rewarded in the future.

Alvin first studied Chemistry at Columbia University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1966 and a masters in 1968. Afterwards, he switched to economics, and this move ended up as a pivotal point in his career, setting him on the path of success he currently occupies. Between 1972 and 1974, Alvin worked in the economics department at Stanford, graduating with a Ph.D. in 1974.

In the early stages of his career, Alvin was a Fulbright Scholar and Research Fellow for the Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, and spent some time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) calculus department. In 1978, he struck out on his own and founded the New England Market Design Institute at M.I.T, serving as its executive director until 2003. That same year, he transitioned to Harvard Business School, where he still works today.

Throughout his lengthy career, Alvin has written or co-written a plethora of books. His most well-known book is likely "Game Theory: An Introduction", co-authored with Lloyd S. Shapley, which was published in 1983 and is still held in high esteem today. Other books include: "Market Making and Reversal on Wall Street" (1985); "The Handbook of Experimental Economics" (1995); "The College Admissions Game: PlayingTo Win" (2007); “Who Gets What and Why” (2015).

When it comes to awards and recognitions, Alvin has had plenty. In 1995 he was a recipient of the prestigious John Kenneth Galbraith Award for excellence in teaching. This was followed in 1996 by the Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in economics. In 2012, he was named a recipient of the National Medal of Science. 2013 saw him bestowed with an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalam.

Perhaps his most well-known award comes in the form of his Nobel Prize, jointly awarded with Lloyd in 2012 for the development of a theory known as “stable allocations and market design”. This theory looks at how to make matching markets efficient, and its effects are felt on a global scale. Alvin was officially honoured with the prize at a ceremony during the 2013 Nobel Week in Stockholm.

When it comes to any professional career, there are always bumps in the road, and Alvin is no exception. Yet during his many years of work he has continued to achieve success and progress in the field of economics. His commitment to research and his undeniable talents have not gone unnoticed and he has received his fair share of accolades. It would seem that Alvin’s long and successful career is set to continue for many more years.