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Richard H. Thaler, Ph.D., the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, will present at �԰�����’s 34th Nobel Economist Lecture on Monday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. His lecture, titled “My Evolution as an Economist” will be held in the Stieren Theater, located in the Ruth Taylor Theater Building. 

Thaler studies the developing field of behavioral economics, which bridges the gap between economics and the psychology of decision-making. He is also credited with helping develop the companion discipline of behavioral finance. His research creates a space for economics to look at human behavior, rather than simply viewing economic decision-making as a rational and selfish force. The field of behavioral economics can be used to solve societal problems by accounting for the irrational human elements in the economic market. 

Born in New Jersey, Thaler received his bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University. He then earned both his master’s degree and his doctorate from the University of Rochester in 1970 and 1974, respectively. 

Thaler has taught at the University of Rochester and Cornell University. He has also temporarily served at The University of British Columbia, the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He moved to the University of Chicago in 1995, where he has taught ever since. Throughout his time teaching and researching, Thaler has served on the boards of the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has been a fellow of the American Finance Association and the Econometrics Society, and he has served as the president of the American Economic Association. 

Richard Thaler has authored and co-authored many books and articles. Notably, he wrote the global bestseller Nudge with Cass R. Sunstein. His other publications include Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics, Quasi-Rational Economics, The Winner's Curse: Paradoxes and Anomalies of Economic Life, and Advances in Behavioral Finance Volumes I and II. Additionally, his work has been published in American Economics Review, the Journal of Finance, and the Journal of Political Economy.

The DeCoursey Nobel Economist Lecture Series is sponsored by �԰�����’s Department of Economics in conjunction with the endowment bestowed by the late Gen. Elbert DeCoursey and Mrs. DeCoursey of San Antonio. These lectures give autobiographical insight into the growth and development of each Nobel Laureate as an economist, while delving into their research and contributions in the field of economics. For more information, contact �԰�����’s Department of Economics at 210-999-7221.