The Department of Economics, located in the School of Social Sciences at Rice University, is a center of excellence for research and teaching in economics. Its faculty is committed to advancing knowledge in all areas of theoretical, empirical, and applied economics, to fostering a better understanding of the importance of economic research in the formulation and assessment of public policy, and to training students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in economic theory and empirical methods and their applications in a wide variety of fields.
Following the launch of the Rice Initiative for the Study of Economics (RISE) and the ensuing expansion of its faculty, the department has established itself as a leading institution for structural empirical microeconomics. The structural approach to empirical economics emphasizes the importance of a rigorous combination of economic theory, econometrics, and data analysis to address substantively important issues in all areas of economics.
Congratulations to the 2025 Rise Awards winners!
See the winners and their awards with these links:
Undergraduate program Rise Awards
Master of Energy Economics program Rise Awards
Remembering Peter Mieszkowski,
Emeritus Professor of Economics
In Memoriam 
Peter Mieszkowski, Professor Emeritus of Economics and former Cline Professor of Economics and Finance, passed away on December 25, 2024.
Professor Mieszkowski was an internationally recognized scholar of public economics who published many path-breaking contributions that helped shape the field.
Peter Mieszkowski joined the Rice Economics Department in 1981 as the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor of Economics and Finance. He previously held positions at the University of Houston, Queen's University (Canada), and Yale University. He earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and M.A. and B.S. degrees from McGill University.
For further information, please see the Rice News article and Professor Zodrow’s article on the awarding of the National Tax Association’s Holland Medal to Professor Mieszkowski. The collection of his most influential articles is available from Edward Elgar Publishing.
The YingHua He Memorial Fund
This summer, we lost beloved and brilliant Professor YingHua He. The family has established the YingHua He Memorial Fund. This fund will provide fellowships to outstanding graduate students who will carry on YingHua's legacy in empirical microeconomics research, an area to which he devoted his life. You may read his biography and donate in memory of YingHua using the link below .
Donations in Memory of Professor YingHua He