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, May 4, 2023

Marcella Alsan, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor of Public Policy
Harvard Kennedy School

Program: 3:30 – 5:00 PM
Location: Sky Suite at the Harris School

Register Here

Marcella Alsan, MD, MPH, PhD is a Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Alsan received a BA from Harvard University, a master’s in public health from Harvard School of Public Health, a MD from Loyola University, and a PhD in Economics from Harvard University. Alsan trained at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Hiatt Global Health Equity Residency Fellowship – then combined the PhD with an Infectious Disease Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to returning to Harvard she was on faculty at Stanford. She is an applied microeconomist studying health inequality. 

Some recent papers include “Does Diversity Matter for Health: Experimental Evidence from Oakland” and “Tuskegee and the Health of Black Men” – published in the American Economic Review and The Quarterly Journal of Economics, respectively, and a series of papers on messaging during COVID-19 published in medical and public health outlets. She is Co-Editor of the Journal of Health Economics Associate Editor for Journal of Economic Literature and Co-Chair of the Health Care Delivery Initiative of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab based out of MIT. She is the co-recipient of the 2019 Arrow Award for Best Paper in Health Economics, the 2021 William G. Manning Memorial Award for the Best Research in Health Econometrics, 2021 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and in 2022 was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Click here to view past Will Manning Memorial Lectures.