Joel Watson

Joel Watson is a Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he has served since 2002. He holds a B.A. from UCSD and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. His research focuses on game-theoretic models analyzing contractual relationships, institutions, and their applications in law, macroeconomics, and environmental economics. Watson has held visiting positions at Yale, Caltech, and Oxford, and was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (2012-2013).

Watson's leadership roles include Chair of UCSD's Economics Department (2006-2008) and Chair of the Campus and Community Planning Committee. He pioneered video-based learning tools, such as the Intermediate Microeconomics Video Handbook and the Econometrics Video Handbook, earning him teaching awards including the 2019 UCSD Distinguished Teaching Award.

He co-founded EconJobMarket.org, a nonprofit serving the economics job market, and has served on editorial boards for journals like the American Economic Review and Econometrica. His work has been supported by grants from the NSF, NOAA, and the University of California system.

• Education: B.A. UCSD (1988), Ph.D. Stanford (1992), Honorary M.A. Oxford (1992)
• Leadership: Department Chair, UCSD (2006-2008); CEO, EconJobMarket.org
• Teaching Innovation: Video handbooks for microeconomics, econometrics, and game theory
• Service: Fellow of the Econometric Society (2011)