David Jacob Cooper

David Jacob Cooper serves as the Tippie-Rollins Chair in Economics and Professor in the Department of Economics at the Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa, and also holds a position as Professor of Economics at the University of East Anglia. His academic journey began with a PhD from Princeton University, establishing a foundation for his distinguished career in experimental economics. As Departmental Executive Officer of Economics at the University of Iowa from 2021-2025, he provided leadership while maintaining an active research program.

Professor Cooper's research expertise spans Experimental Economics, where he designs controlled studies to understand economic behavior; Behavioral Game Theory, examining strategic decision-making in competitive and cooperative settings; Entrepreneurship, investigating how entrepreneurs differ in their preferences and decision processes; and Managerial Decision Making, exploring leadership, delegation, and coordination in organizational contexts. His work consistently applies experimental methods to uncover fundamental principles of human behavior in economic environments.

His recent publications demonstrate a cohesive research trajectory focused on experimental approaches to strategic behavior, with particular attention to leadership dynamics, team formation, and coordination problems. Cooper's work frequently appears in top economics journals including the American Economic Journal, Management Science, and Economic Journal, reflecting his standing in the field of experimental and behavioral economics.

• Associate Editor, Management Science (August 2024)
• Co-Editor, Economic Theory (October 2021)
• Co-Editor, Economic Theory Bulletin (October 2021)
• Editorial Board Member, Games and Economic Behavior (January 2017)

As Departmental Executive Officer from 2021-2025, Cooper led the Economics Department at the University of Iowa, overseeing faculty development, curriculum, and strategic direction while maintaining his research productivity. His dual appointment with the University of East Anglia demonstrates international recognition of his scholarly contributions to economics.