A Florida State University faculty member from the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy has been elected a fellow of the Economic Science Association (ESA).
Mark Isaac, the John and Hallie Quinn Eminent Scholar Chair in the Department of Economics, was selected for the honor by his ESA peers in recognition of his contributions to the field of experimental economics through laboratory and field experiments.
“For someone who participated in the founding of the Economic Science Association some 40 years ago, this is a deeply moving honor, especially when it comes directly from my colleagues in the profession,” Isaac said. “It is indeed humbling when I consider the careers and accomplishments of the other ESA Fellows.”
Isaac’s work has advanced economic knowledge, particularly in areas such as law and economics, industrial organization, public goods provision and decision-making under risk and uncertainty. His paper “Group Size Effects in Public Goods Provision: The Voluntary Contributions Mechanism” with James Walker of Indiana University was named one of the 20 most consequential papers in the history of experimental economics by the editors of the volume “The Art of Experimental Economics.”
“While Dr. Isaac’s impact on the field has been immense, his impact at FSU has been equally great as the college is now home to one of the strongest and best experimental and behavioral economics programs in the nation.”
– Dean Tim Chapin, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy
“Even after more than 40 years, I am still fascinated with what matters in human society in our ability to provide public goods,” Isaac said.
The ESA Fellowship is a permanent recognition of his dedication and impact on the discipline. Isaac was also awarded the inaugural Distinguished Service Award from ESA last year.
“This recognition as an ESA Fellow reflects the quality and impact of Dr. Isaac’s scholarship, as he is indeed one of the world’s leading experimental economists and thought leaders,” said Dean Tim Chapin of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. “While Dr. Isaac’s impact on the field has been immense, his impact at FSU has been equally great as the college is now home to one of the strongest and best experimental and behavioral economics programs in the nation.”
Isaac joined FSU as the Quinn Eminent Scholar and a Professor of Economics in 2001 and served as chair of the Department of Economics from 2012 to 2018. He is also a key faculty member for FSU’s XS/FS Experimental Social Science Lab, which studies how individuals and groups make choices to inform policymaking decisions.
Established in 1986, ESA is the professional organization devoted to economics as an observational science, using controlled experiments to learn about economic behavior. The use of laboratory techniques make it possible for researchers to observe and control variables that would not be observable in the field, such as the preferences of buyers and the costs of sellers in the trading of an artificial good.
For more about FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy and the Department of Economics, visit cosspp.fsu.edu.