Richard Zeckhauser

Richard Zeckhauser is the Frank Plumpton Ramsey Professor of Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University. He earned his PhD and undergraduate degree (summa cum laude) from Harvard. His research bridges behavioral economics, decision theory, and public policy, with seminal contributions including Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), status quo bias, and betrayal aversion frameworks.

Research interests span:

• Behavioral economics and decision-making under uncertainty
• Public-private collaboration models
• Game-theoretic analysis of policy and markets
• Health economics and regulatory efficiency

Honors include fellowships in the Econometric Society, National Academy of Sciences, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, plus the 2014 Distinguished Fellowship from the American Economic Association.

Beyond academia, he serves as Senior Principal at Equity Resource Investments and is a national champion contract bridge player.