Shachar Kariv

Shachar Kariv is the Benjamin N. Ward Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has served since 2003. He directs the UC Berkeley Experimental Social Science Laboratory (Xlab) and affiliates with the Choice Lab at NHH Norwegian School of Economics. Educated at Tel Aviv University (B.A.) and New York University (M.A., Ph.D.), Kariv has held visiting roles at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, European University Institute, Nuffield College Oxford, Stanford, and Cambridge.

• Ph.D., Economics, New York University (2003)
• M.A., Economics, New York University (2000)
• B.A., Economics, Tel Aviv University (1998)

His research spans experimental and behavioral economics, focusing on decision-making under risk and uncertainty, social preferences, network economics, and public goods. He investigates how individuals balance fairness versus self-interest and equality versus efficiency trade-offs, extending to physician behavior, tax policy, and economic development. His work combines traditional economic theory with innovative data collection methods, including graphical interfaces for preference elicitation.

Recent publications examine the transferability of economic models across risk domains, policy preferences of government officials, and the relationship between physician altruism and healthcare outcomes. His experimental studies on social learning in networks have theoretical implications for coordination in incomplete information environments, recognized through multiple awards including the Sloan Research Fellowship and UC Berkeley teaching honors.

• Sloan Research Fellowship (2009-10)
• UC Berkeley Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching (2012)
• NYU Outstanding Teaching Awards (2001, 2002)
• NYU Outstanding Dissertation Award (2003)

Kariv's leadership roles include Department Chair at Berkeley (2014-17, 2021-22) and directing Xlab (2008-2014). He serves on editorial boards of top journals and has received grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Center for Equitable Growth. His work at the intersection of theory and experiment continues to shape understanding of economic rationality and social behavior.