Six Economics Concentrators Receive 2026 Hoopes Prize for Outstanding Undergraduate Research
The Harvard University Department of Economics is proud to congratulate six economics concentrators who have been awarded the 2026 Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, one of Harvard's highest honors for undergraduate scholarly achievement.
The annual Hoopes Prize recognizes exceptional undergraduate work across a broad range of disciplines, including the humanities, sciences, arts, and history. Established through a gift from the estate of Thomas T. Hoopes, Class of 1919, the prize celebrates excellence in research, writing, and creative inquiry conducted under the guidance of faculty mentors.
This year, six economics students were recognized for producing outstanding original research that addresses important questions in economics, public policy, political economy, and global development.
The 2026 Hoopes Prize recipients in Economics are:
Julien Berman for “The Market for Information”
Supervised and nominated by Professor Jesse Shapiro
Hans Elasri for “Wisdom of the Quotes: Price Discovery on Kalshi”
Supervised and nominated by Professor John Campbell
Jess Jenkins for “Colonial Land Expropriation and the Modern Geography of Opportunity in Aotearoa New Zealand”
Supervised and nominated by Professor Andrei Shleifer
Katie Lu for “Rise of the ‘Left Behind’: The China Shock and the Entrenchment of European Populism”
Supervised and nominated by Professor Stefanie Stantcheva
Christopher Ruaño for “Illuminating the Invisible Fleet: Satellite Measurement of Dark Fishing and Its Economic Consequences”
Supervised and nominated by Professor Andrei Shleifer
Ben Scott for “Taking Our Jobs: Immigration and AI-Mediated Persuasion in Australia”
Supervised and nominated by Mr. Matthew Chen
The breadth of topics represented by this year's awardees reflects the intellectual diversity of economics at Harvard. From information markets and financial prediction platforms to historical land policy, global fishing activity, immigration, artificial intelligence, and political change, these projects demonstrate the power of economic analysis to illuminate complex issues affecting societies around the world.
The Hoopes Prize also recognizes the vital role of faculty mentorship in undergraduate scholarship. Faculty nominators of winning projects receive a $2,000 award in recognition of their guidance and support, while each student recipient receives a $5,000 prize. Winning written projects are preserved in Lamont Library for two years, becoming part of Harvard's scholarly record and serving as inspiration for future generations of student researchers.
The Department of Economics congratulates this year's Hoopes Prize recipients and their faculty mentors on this remarkable achievement. Their work exemplifies the curiosity, rigor, and commitment to discovery that define undergraduate research at Harvard.