Economics Professor Jere Behrman Awarded Carlos Díaz-Alejandro Prize
October 2008
W.R. Kenan, Jr. Profesor of Economics Jere R. Behrman has been awarded the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association’s (LACEA) 2008 Carlos Díaz-Alejandro Prize, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the economic analysis of issues relevant to Latin America. The LACEA recognizes Behrman’s research on the effects of nutrition and education on productivity and social mobility, citing his pioneering studies on impact evaluation as influential for the design of effective social policies in developing countries overwhelmed by poverty and inequality.
Behrman first became involved in research on Latin America 40 years ago, when he worked with Carlos Díaz-Alejandro, Edmar Bacha and others in the Chilean Economic Planning Office. A member of the Penn faculty since 1965, Behrman has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 40 research projects funded by organizations including the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Science Foundation. He has also worked as a research consultant with numerous national and international organizations—including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Behrman has published over 230 professional articles and 30 books on research interests including empirical microeconomics, economic development, labor economics, economic demography and household behaviors. His other professional honors include being selected a Fulbright 40th Anniversary Distinguished Fellow, a Fellow of the Econometric Society, and a Guggenheim Foundation Faculty Fellow.