Will Manning Memorial Lecture
On November 25, 2014, the world of health economics lost one of its most distinguished members, Willard (Will) Manning. For most of the prior 15 years, Will Manning was a professor in the Harris School of Public Policy Studies and the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Chicago. Before his arrival in Chicago, he served in positions at the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and the RAND Corporation. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University in 1973. His career was marked by extraordinary contributions in scholarship, service, and mentorship.
Professor Will Manning retires from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago with a celebration at the Quad Club June 27, 2012. (Photo by Jason Smith)
Will Manning published more than 150 articles and several books, resulting in more than 11,000 citations. Will first made his mark on the field with his work on the RAND Health Insurance Experiment. His AER article resulting from that work (Manning et al., 1987) is still relevant and has been cited more than 700 times. Subsequently, he made substantial scholarly contributions to the field of health economics across several broad areas: health insurance, health econometrics, mental health, and health behaviors. A key to the wide and deep impact of his work was his attention to both the methodological rigor and the institutional realities and real-world impact of the issues he studied. He exhibited a deep and abiding commitment to improving public health and especially health care for vulnerable populations.
In recognition of his scholarly contributions, Will Manning received some of the most high-profile awards in the profession: the 2009 AcademyHealth Distinguished Investigator Award, the 2010 Victor Fuchs Lifetime Achievement Award from ASHE, IHEA’s Arrow Award for the best paper in health economics in 2001, Article of the Year Award from AcademyHealth’s predecessor in 1990 and 1993, and membership in the Institute of Medicine starting in 1995. The field of health economics will be forever grateful for the time Will Manning devoted to advancing research and the training of so many of its participants.
Upcoming Lecture
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Edward C. Norton, PhD
Professor of Health Care Management in the Department of Health Management and Policy
Professor in the Department of Economics
University of Michigan
Why Transform Y?
Program: 3:30 – 5:00 PM
Location: Sky Suite at the Harris School
Edward C. Norton is the UnitedHealthcare Professor of Health Care Management in the Department of Health Management and Policy and a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and Director of Quantitative Analytics in the Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy. In addition to his affiliations with the University of Michigan, Prof. Norton is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Health Economics Program and in the Economics of Aging Program. His research interests in health economics include econometrics, long-term care and aging, and pay-for-performance. He was the Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy Research at the University of Michigan. Before coming to Michigan, he taught at UNC at Chapel Hill and at Harvard Medical School.
Click here to view past Will Manning Memorial Lectures.