Dave Donaldson

Dave Donaldson is the Class of 1949 Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), affiliated with the Department of Economics under the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. His work spans international economics, development economics, and environmental economics, with applications in urban economics, economic history, and agricultural economics.

• Education: Undergraduate in Physics (Oxford University); PhD in Economics (London School of Economics)

Research Interests: Focus on trade (international and intranational), market integration, transportation infrastructure, and their impacts on welfare, inequality, and climate change mitigation. He also studies industrial policy, market failures, and economic development.

Recent Publications analyze trade policy, industrial policy design, tax fraud, climate impacts on trade, and historical infrastructure effects. His work combines theoretical modeling with empirical validation.

Awards & Honors:

• 2020 - Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 2018 - TW Schultz Award (Agricultural and Applied Economics Association)
• 2017 - John Bates Clark Medal (American Economic Association)
• 2017 - Fellow, Econometric Society
• 2013 - Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship

Grants: Multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) grants and collaborative projects.