Felipe Goncalves, assistant professor of economics at University of California, Los Angeles and Steven Mello, assistant professor of economics at Dartmouth College have been awarded the 2023 Albert Rees Dissertation Prize.
The prize is awarded every two years for Princeton Ph.D. dissertations, completed within the last six years, judged to have made outstanding contributions to labor economics. The prize commemorates Al Rees's great contributions to labor economics at Princeton as a scholar, teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend. Visit our Centennial Timeline topic on Unions for more about Al Rees.
The prize carries an honorarium and a commemorative plaque.
Felipe Goncalves *18, “Essays in Public Economics”
“The IR Section was a wonderful place to spend my formative years as a graduate student. The section's focus on careful causal identification and its broad view of what topics should be studied by economists have been important influences on my development as a researcher. My dissertation focused on economic questions in crime and policing, and the faculty, fellow students, and staff in the Section were indispensable resources for answering those questions.
“It is also incredible to win this award together with Steve Mello, who co-authored two studies in my dissertation. Steve has been a great friend and colleague at Princeton and ever since. Our shared training in the IR Section has been a huge asset to our research.”
Steven Mello *19, “Essays on Public Economics and Criminal Justice”
"The incredible faculty, students, and intellectual environment of the IR section fostered a commitment to rigorous and policy-relevant research and played a huge role in shaping my work. I am especially thrilled to share this year’s prize with my friend and coauthor, Felipe Goncalves. I have learned so much from Felipe during our longtime collaboration, which began with our co-authored dissertation research at Princeton."