Daniel L. McFadden

Daniel L. McFadden is a renowned economist and Professor of the Graduate School at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Economics. He also serves as the Presidential Professor of Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California. Born in 1937, McFadden holds a B.S. in Physics (University of Minnesota, 1957) and a Ph.D. in Economics (University of Minnesota, 1962). His academic career includes roles at the University of Pittsburgh, MIT (where he held the James R. Killian Chair), Yale University, and Caltech.

Research Interests: McFadden is celebrated for his contributions to econometrics, particularly in discrete choice models. His work spans transportation demand analysis, health economics, environmental valuation, and welfare economics. He pioneered the use of conditional logit models and mixed logit models, revolutionizing how economists model individual decision-making. His research integrates behavioral insights with rigorous statistical methods.

Notable Contributions: McFadden's work on the multinomial logit model and mixed logit models remains foundational in transportation and marketing. His Nobel Prize (2000) recognized his development of these models for analyzing individual choices. Recent work explores behavioral economics, Medicare policy, and subjective well-being measurement.

Awards & Honors: McFadden is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received the John Bates Clark Medal (1975), Nemmers Prize (2000), and Frisch Medal (1986). He holds honorary doctorates from multiple institutions.

Grants & Advising: McFadden has led major projects on transportation policy, energy demand, and health economics. He advised the U.S. government on Medicare Part D and contributed to modeling consumer behavior in healthcare markets. His work frequently bridges academia and policy, addressing real-world challenges.

Labs & Teams: As Director of Berkeley's Econometrics Laboratory (1991–1995, 1996–present), he fostered interdisciplinary research. Collaborations with institutions like MIT and USC highlight his leadership in econometric innovation.