Alessandra Casella

Alessandra Casella is Professor of Economics and Political Science at Columbia University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, serving as co-director of the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy. She is a fellow of the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Center for Economic Policy Research.

Education

• Graduate of Universita’ Bocconi
• PhD in Economics from MIT

Research Interests

Professor Casella specializes in political economy and experimental economics, conducting laboratory-based research at the intersection of economics and political science. Her work explores theoretical frameworks through empirical social science experimentation, significantly contributing to understanding collective decision-making processes.

Scientific Awards and Honors

• National Bureau of Economic Research Fellow
• Center for Economic Policy Research Fellow
• Econometric Society Fellow
• Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory Fellow
• Guggenheim Fellow
• Institute for Advanced Study Member
• Russell Sage Fellow
• Straus Fellow (NYU Law School)

Advising and Research Leadership

As a doctoral advisor in economics and political science, Casella has mentored numerous graduate students. Her decade-long directorship of the Columbia Experimental Laboratory for the Social Sciences (2012-2022) demonstrates sustained success in research infrastructure development and grant-funded project management.

Laboratory Leadership

Casella founded and directed Columbia's Experimental Laboratory for the Social Sciences for ten years, establishing it as a premier facility for interdisciplinary experimental research in social sciences before stepping down in 2022.