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Stefano DellaVignaAssistant Professor, Economics |
Stefano DellaVigna, Assistant Professor in Economics who specializes in behavioral economics came to Berkeley in 2002. Among the courses he teaches are “Microeconomic Theory” and “Applications of Psychology and Economics. Economics Chair Benjamin Hermalin points out that DellaVigna has already published seminal papers in his field and “has been a force in the classroom since his arrival at Berkeley”; the Committee agreed, and also noted DellaVigna’s contributions to teaching outside the classroom, mentoring significant numbers of graduates and undergraduates and involving many in his research projects. “Wow,” says one undergraduate, “Professor DellaVigna is the reason why I want to change from engineering to economics. He is a passionate, eloquent lecturer.” And a student in a graduate seminar comments, “Stefano, as you know, is a giant in the classroom. This is because he cares about the success of his students, and he has ZERO ARROGANCE.” The Committee also commends DellaVigna for his commitment to mentoring the exceptionally large number of students he has already taken on in the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Five and a half years ago, I gave my first lecture in Berkeley. I remember that first encounter: a classroom full of undergraduate students, none of whom I knew. I went over the different faces in the room and thought “How will I connect to this crowd if I do not know any of them?”
I did not have to wait long for the answer: The students did it, they established that connection. All I did was create the conditions. First I presented the mathematical requirements for the class, and then I gave a sample of what makes me proud of being an economist: a lecture on the economics of discrimination. (I often think that we economists should be paying the University, and not vice versa, to study topics such as this—but do not tell the Budget Committee.) I presented a simple model and evidence on the effect of competition on the male-female wage gap in the banking industry: deregulation lowered the wage gap. Economics matters, I argued, and this is an example. The students knew that the material was not a pure academic exercise and they started asking a number of questions: “Would this apply to other industries? Does this mean that we should not worry about discrimination?” I could see the personalities and intellects at work. They had established a connection that developed firmer as the semester unfolded.
Indeed, Berkeley students ask constructive and interesting questions. All I do is to come prepared to class, carrying along my strength and weaknesses. The trust relationship with the students means, for example, that I am allowed to make mistakes. If I do not know how to answer a question, I just say so. They smile, and I prepare an answer for the next lecture.
The students also help to enrich the lectures. Once a week, I usually take some students for lunch after class. I asked one of the students about his major. He said "Molecular Biology or Economics". I started talking about the differences between the majors, to which he responded: "I really like that economics studies human behavior, but I hate how it is all about making money." That struck a deep chord in me. That bothers me, too. I knew what he meant: maximize profits, maximize wealth—that's a lot of what we talk about. But economics has a gentler side too. I started telling him that economics is also about development, how to organize charities, how to help people with self-control problems. That's what keeps me excited about our field. Next time, I gave a half lecture on the economics of altruism (Luckily, that fit in). Once more, a student had helped make a class a lot more interesting. All I did was to ask, and to listen.