2025 Role Models in Economics Award Announced
The European Economic Association (EEA) is delighted to announce that Professor Marco Pagnozzi (University of Naples Federico II) is the recipient of the 2025 edition of the Role Models in Economics Award. This is the third edition of the award, through which the EEA recognizes colleagues who are both outstanding scholars and exemplary contributors to the public good within the Economics profession. The 2025 Award is given to an economist aged over 45.
Marco Pagnozzi is an accomplished and rigorous scholar who has made important contributions to industrial organisation and auction theory. Beyond his scholarly work, Professor Pagnozzi has made outstanding contributions along three of the core criteria of the Role Models in Economics Award: exceptional mentoring, impactful outreach activities, and influential academic programs.
Impactful outreach activities
As director of his university’s Master’s program, Marco Pagnozzi played a key role in attracting a growing number of students from low- and middle-income countries, as well as Italian students from highly diverse educational backgrounds. His efforts extended well beyond academic leadership and included hands-on involvement in the often-underestimated administrative processes required to make such inclusion possible.
One of the nominators, who has since returned to his home country in Africa, is now a university lecturer, co-director of a research center, and consultant to both his national government and the World Bank. He emphasized that, “None of these achievements would have been possible without the career foundation I gained through the funding and support to pursue the Master in Economics and Finance directed by Professor Pagnozzi.”
Influential academic programs
For more than a decade, Marco Pagnozzi directed the university’s highly selective two-year Master’s program, MEF/LMEF, originally created by Marco Pagano and Tullio Jappelli. Under his leadership, the program continued to flourish and consistently placed students into competitive PhD programs, public institutions, and private-sector positions.
As one nominator explained, “Sustaining a program of such high quality is particularly challenging… Thanks to Marco’s skillful management, personal commitment, and long-term vision, MEF/LMEF stands out today as an exceptional outlier within the Italian public-university ecosystem.”
The nominations in support of Professor Pagnozzi included testimonies from over 50 graduates of the program he directed.
Exceptional mentoring
To further support Master’s students aiming for academic careers, Marco Pagnozzi created and leads the Junior Fellows Initiative, which provides additional coursework and early-stage research experience. Although still in its early years, the program has already enhanced PhD placements for its participants.
Numerous nominators also highlighted his extraordinary dedication to mentoring students over many years. One nominator noted: “He never made a big deal out of any of this, and I know he has done similar things for many others: quietly offering support, guidance, and kindness when they needed it most. That’s why I describe Marco as outstanding: he consistently goes the extra mile for the people around him, always without anyone asking him.”
The nominator concluded: “To award Marco is to recognize not just an accomplished academic, but also someone who represents the values of service, dedication, and compassion. By honoring him, you also honor all those who make similar selfless choices, often behind the scenes and without recognition.”
With the award funds of €10,000, Professor Pagnozzi will be asked to contribute to an initiative that supports the careers of PhD students and junior faculty in Europe—one of the fundamental missions of the EEA.
The EEA is very grateful to everyone who submitted nominations for the 2025 edition of the Role Models in Economics Award. The list of nominees demonstrates that Europe’s Economics profession is rich in dedicated scholars who are also exemplary academic citizens.
The EEA also extends its sincere thanks to the Award Committee:
Margaret (Meg) Meyer, Davide Cantoni, Anna Salomons, and Galina Zudenkova.