Announcing the 2026 ESA Award Winners and New ESA Fellows

[Lata Gangadharan]

Dear ESA Community,

We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2026 ESA Awards and the newest Fellows of the Economic Science Association. These awards recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to our field through research, service, mentoring, and leadership. 

2026 ESA Distinguished Service Award

This award honours those who have played an exceptional role in the administration and growth of the ESA over the course of their careers.

We are excited to recognize the 2026 recipient: Professor Timothy N. Cason

Professor Cason has made exceptional contributions to the Economic Science Association through his long-standing service and leadership. He served as ESA President and as Vice President for the Americas. In addition, he contributed extensively to the profession through his service as Editor of Experimental Economics and the Journal of Public Economics. Beyond these formal leadership roles, Professor Cason has remained deeply engaged in the ESA community through active participation in conferences, mentoring sessions, and ongoing institutional contributions. 

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2026 ESA Young Scholar Prize

This prize recognizes a young scholar whose work has made a significant methodological contribution to experimental economics. Candidates must either be under the age of 40, hold an untenured position, or be within 10 years of completing their PhD. 

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 recipient: Dr Kai Barron

Dr Barron is a Research Associate at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and earned a PhD in Economics from University College London. He has built a strong academic profile through creative methodological and empirical contributions to the experimental investigation of motivated belief updating, narratives, and discrimination mechanisms. His research has been recognized through a growing portfolio of high-impact publications.

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2026 ESA Prize for Exceptional Achievement

This award honours a researcher who has overcome unusually challenging circumstances to make impactful contributions to experimental economics. 

We are proud to announce that the 2026 award goes to: Professor Giancarlo Spagnolo

Professor Giancarlo Spagnolo of the University of Rome Tor Vergata is recognized for his outstanding contributions to the understanding of competition policy, public procurement, and collusion at the intersection of economic theory, public policy, and experimental research. Despite difficult personal circumstances, Professor Spagnolo has produced a body of work that has significantly influenced both academic research and policy practice. With publications in leading journals including Econometrica, the Review of Economic Studies, and the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, his scholarship has had substantial academic and institutional impact.

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ESA Fellows

The designation of ESA Fellow recognizes the lifetime contributions of ESA members who have advanced the frontier of knowledge in economics through the use of laboratory and/or field experiments. The designation is intended as a permanent recognition of an individual's contribution to experimental science and to economics. 

We are delighted to welcome the following distinguished scholars as the 2026 ESA Fellows:

• Soo Hong Chew (National University of Singapore, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu)
• Rachel Croson (University of Minnesota)
• Guillaume Fréchette (New York University)
• John Hey (University of York)
• Frans van Winden (University of Amsterdam)

Professor Soo Hong Chew

Professor Chew has made foundational contributions to decision theory and economic science, particularly in the analysis of risk, ambiguity, and non-expected utility preferences. He has developed influential axiomatic approaches and integrated insights from psychology, biology, and neuroscience into economics, helping to expand the scope of behavioral economics. He also served as the first Asia-Pacific Vice-President of the ESA from 2008 to 2010. Through his research, editorial service, and institutional leadership, he has had a lasting and wide-ranging impact on the field.

Professor Rachel Croson

Professor Croson has made outstanding contributions to experimental economics, particularly in the areas of decision-making, public goods, bargaining, and negotiation. Her work has enriched the field by integrating insights from psychology and management. Alongside an influential research career, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership through deanships, service at the National Science Foundation, and senior university administration. Her commitment to mentorship and advancing diversity in economics has had a lasting impact on the profession.

Professor Guillaume Fréchette

Professor Fréchette is one of the most prominent scholars in experimental economics. He has made major contributions to political economy through his work on the Baron-Ferejohn model of legislative bargaining and to the study of repeated games using prisoner’s dilemma frameworks under complete and incomplete information. He has also provided extraordinary service to the profession as Associate Editor of Econometrica and AEJ: Microeconomics, and previously as Associate Editor of the American Economic Review.

Professor John Hey

Professor Hey has made foundational contributions to the study of decision-making under risk and ambiguity, as well as dynamic choice and preference formation. His influential research has shaped both theoretical and experimental analyses of behavior under uncertainty, connecting formal models with empirical evidence while advancing experimental methods. He served as ESA Vice-President for Europe from 2000 to 2004. Through his research, editorial work, and intellectual leadership, he has had a lasting impact on the field.

Professor Frans van Winden

Professor van Winden is widely recognized as a pioneer in experimental economics. His foundational research, particularly on emotions and social ties, together with his institutional leadership and sustained service, has profoundly shaped the field and its global community. He was the founding director of CREED, the first dedicated research group for experimental economics in the Netherlands, and served on the ESA Executive Committee from 1994 to 2001. His contributions have helped establish and strengthen experimental economics as a leading area of economic research.

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These awardees and Fellows were selected by the 2026 ESA Awards and Fellows Committee (Marie Claire Villeval, Chair; Andrew Schotter; Alessandra Cassar; Ben Greiner; and Erte Xiao). We extend our thanks to everyone who submitted nominations this year and encourage all ESA members to consider nominating deserving individuals for future awards and fellowships. 

Please join me in congratulating this year's outstanding scholars.

Lata Gangadharan

ESA President