The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) conferred a prestigious honorary doctorate degree on Nobel Laureate Professor Joshua Angrist during the 89th Board of Governors Meeting on October 19 in Jerusalem, Israel.

Joshua Angrist is the Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a co-founder and director of MIT's Blueprint Labs, a co-founder of ed-tech startup Avela, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. A dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, Angrist taught at Harvard and Hebrew University before joining MIT in 1996.

Angrist and his collaborators develop and study innovative ways to harness the power of natural experiments to answer important economic questions. These econometric tools help social scientists and policymakers gauge the consequences of individual choices and government policy changes. Angrist received the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for his work on the econometric theory behind natural experiments in economics—studies using data in which otherwise similar groups of people are serendipitously exposed to different policies, treatments, or life choices. Angrist’s research reveals causal effects in complex social situations where it is often impractical to run randomized trials.

In 2020, Angrist and MIT colleague Parag Pathak co-founded Avela, a software start-up that uses cutting-edge research to help schools and school districts boost enrollment, streamline operations, support students and their families, and enhance equity.

President of the Hebrew University Prof. Tamir Sheafer conferred the Degree of Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa, “in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to the field of economics, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2021; honoring his long-lasting and manifold ties to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a student, faculty member, academic collaborator, and mentor; and in tribute to his steadfast commitment to the Hebrew University and the State of Israel, which were exemplified by teaching a special course in econometrics for reservists at HU."

Accepting the accolade, Angrist said, "I’ve long seen Hebrew University as a second home (for many happy years, it was my first home!). I’m excited and humbled to be granted an honorary degree. I’m also gratified to be able to participate in this year’s Board of Governors gathering; it is good to be together in Israel.”

Angrist is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Econometric Society, and the National Academy of Sciences. He has served on many editorial boards and as a co-editor of the Journal of Labor Economics.
In addition to scholarship and teaching, Angrist and Steve Pischke co-authored Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion and Mastering 'Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect. Scholars and students from many disciplines value these texts for their lighthearted but rigorous presentations of the econometric toolkit.

Angrist completed his Ph.D. in Economics at Princeton in 1989 and received his B.A. from Oberlin College in 1982.