Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession

A standing committee of the American Economic Association since 1971, the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP) serves professional women economists by monitoring their progress and promoting their careers.  Learn more about CSWEP.

Award Winners

Donna K. Ginther, Roy A. Roberts & Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Carolyn Shaw Bell Award. The award, established in honor of CSWEP’s first chair, recognizes individuals who advance the status of women in the economics profession. Professor Ginther will formally accept the award during the 2026 AEA/ASSA meeting in Philadelphia.

A leading scholar of labor economics, science policy, and inequality, Professor Ginther has profoundly shaped understanding of gender, race, and career dynamics in economics and STEM. Her influential research on gender gaps, mentoring, and institutional practices has informed major policy discussions and contributed to meaningful improvements in professional climate and opportunities for women. She has also played key leadership roles in CSWEP, the AEA, and other national bodies, and her evaluations of CSWEP’s CeMENT workshops provided evidence that structured mentoring improves publication, collaboration, and tenure outcomes.

Equally renowned as a mentor and advocate, Professor Ginther has supported countless students and colleagues through candid guidance, long-term engagement, and active sponsorship. Her service at the University of Kansas and her advisory work with state and national organizations have connected rigorous research to pressing policy issues, further extending her impact on the profession and beyond.

Visit the award page for the full announcement.

Mira Frick, Professor of Economics at Princeton University, is the recipient of the 2025 Elaine Bennett Research Prize. Established in 1998, the Elaine Bennett Research Prize recognizes and honors outstanding research in any field of economics. 
 
Professor Frick is a microeconomic theorist who studies how economic agents acquire, process, and use information. Her work spans decision theory and the theory of learning, especially under model misspecification. The theoretical models that she has developed are able to capture important elements in real-world data and speak to ongoing empirical debates, emphasizing the empirical relevance of theory. Her research highlights the importance of dynamics in linking theoretical work to empirical evidence. Across areas, she shows that small departures from classical assumptions—once dynamics are accounted for—can dramatically change model predictions, including long-run beliefs and welfare. Her papers combine technical sophistication with powerful economic insight and have already become field-defining contributions to economic theory.

Professor Frick received her Ph.D. in Business Economics at Harvard University in 2015. Among her many honors are receiving the 2022-24 Research Fellowship in Economics from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, as well as several awards for her teaching. She is a Council Member of the Game Theory Society and a Co-Editor at Theoretical Economics, having previously served as associate editor at the Journal of Political Economy and American Economic Review: Insights.

Visit the award page for the full announcement.

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Questions and press inquiries may be directed to the Committee Coordinator at info@cswep.org.