Ostrom Wins Nobel Prize in Economics
Indiana University professor Elinor Ostrom has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, an achievement that honors a lifetime of groundbreaking research, teaching, and scholarship.
She is the first woman to win the prize in economics, which has been awarded since 1969. She shares the award with Oliver Williamson, Edgar F. Kaiser Professor Emeritus of Business, Economics, and Law at the University of California, Berkeley.
Ostrom was recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons.
“Elinor Ostrom has challenged the conventional wisdom that common property is poorly managed and should be either regulated by central authorities or privatized,” the academy said. “Based on numerous studies of user-managed fish stocks, pastures, woods, lakes, and groundwater basins, Ostrom concludes that the outcomes are, more often than not, better than predicted by standard theories.”
The award comes as no surprise to Ostrom’s colleagues, students, and other scholars, who describe her as brilliant, hard working, respectful, and humble.
“Professor Ostrom has won widespread recognition from around the world for her very original research and scholarship,” IU President Michael A. McRobbie said. “For her to win the Nobel Prize is fully appropriate.”
News release: Elinor Ostrom presented with Nobel Prize
About Elinor Ostrom
Current Positions
- Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science, IU Bloomington
- Professor of public and environmental affairs, IU Bloomington
- Faculty member, Cognitive Science Program, IU Bloomington
- Co-founder and senior research director, Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, IU Bloomington
- Founding co-director, Center for the Study of Institutions, Population, and Environmental Change, IU Bloomington
- Research Professor and founding director, Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, Arizona State University
Education
- B.A., political science, University of California, Los Angeles, 1954
- M.A., political science, UCLA, 1962
- Ph.D., political science, UCLA, 1965
Nobel Summaries of Her Work
In the News
- Ambassador invites Nobel Laureate Ostrom to visit Nepal, University Communications, January 11, 2010
- Shaming and (in)civility: Elinor Ostrom on challenge of online discourse, PoliticsDaily.com, January 7, 2010
- Ostrom to meet with ambassador of Nepal, Indiana Daily Student, December 28, 2009
- IU’s Ostrom awarded Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Daniels, University Communications, December 22, 2009
- Ostrom for forest advocates: Sounding good is not enough, University Communications, December 14, 2009
- Ostrom accepts Nobel Prize, Indiana Daily Student, December 11, 2009
- Elinor Ostrom receives Nobel; IU friends and colleagues celebrate, Bloomington Herald-Times, December 10, 2009
- Indiana University’s Elinor Ostrom receives Nobel Prize, Indianapolis Star, December 10, 2009
- ‘We must learn how to deal with complexity,’ professor tells world in Nobel Prize lecture, Bloomington Herald-Times, December 9, 2009
- IU professor’s family, friends gather to celebrate prize, Indiana Daily Student, December 9, 2009
- Ostrom presents speech in Stockholm, Indiana Daily Student, December 9, 2009
- Nobel winners helped by independence, coffee, npr.org, December 7, 2009
- Don’t wait for Copenhagen deal, says Nobel winner, The Star Online, December 7, 2009
- Nobel mettle, Indianapolis Star, December 6, 2009
- Podcast: Fixing climate change is going to cost you, Planet Money, November 30, 2009
- Nobel Prize decision highlights significance of institutions, Research for Development Web site, November 2, 2009
- Nobel prize (not Obama’s) is self-governance win, Fort Worth Business Press, November 2, 2009
- A conversation with the 2009 Nobel Prize winner in economics, Fool.com Press, October 28, 2009
- Nobel Laureate Dr. Elinor Ostrom recognized Groundwater Replenishment Agency's effectiveness, Aquafornia.com, October 28, 2009
- And the award goes to..., Myrepublica.com, October 26, 2009
- The Nobel Prize in Economics and you, Kivitv.com, October 22, 2009
- Dams better run by co-ops: 2009 Nobel winner, ABS-CBN News, October 20, 2009
- Nobel Laureate Ostrom’s lessons for India, The Hindu Business Line, October 19, 2009
- The significance of Ostrom’s prize, Indiana Daily Student, October 19, 2009
- 2009 Nobel Economics Prize: What does it mean? Jakarta Post, October 19, 2009
- IU expects ripple effect from Ostrom’s Nobel Prize, Bloomington Herald-Times, October 18, 2009
- Teaching is the prize for Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom, Chinaview.cn, October 17, 2009
- Nobel Prize winner positive about China’s economic growth, Chinaview.cn, October 16, 2009
- Scholar’s rising star shines on many, Indianapolis Star, October 16, 2009
- Nobel for economics, Irish Times, October 16, 2009
- Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom, The Tavis Smiley Show, October 16, 2009
- Reality bites: Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson win this year’s Nobel Prize for Economics, The Economist, October 15, 2009
- A female economics laureate: Why only now? The Nation, October 15, 2009
- The non-tragedy of the commons, New York Times’ TierneyLab blog, October 15, 2009
- Nobel recognizes research into economic governance, VOANews.com, October 15, 2009
- IU’s Ostrom showed how people can affect economies, Bloomington Herald-Times, October 13, 2009
- IU community describes Ostrom as humble, hard-working, Bloomington Herald-Times, October 13, 2009
- Nobel Laureate’s roots go deep at Indiana University, Bloomington Herald-Times, October 13, 2009
- Nobel economics prize goes to two Americans, The China Post, October 13, 2009
- In praise of ... Elinor Ostrom, The Guardian, October 13, 2009
- 76-year-old is first woman to win Nobel Prize for Economics, The Independent, October 13, 2009
- Ostrom becomes first woman to win Nobel Prize in Economics, Indiana Daily Student, October 13, 2009
- IU professor receives honor for award Monday, Indiana Daily Student, October 13, 2009
- IU professor wins Nobel in economics, Indianapolis Star, October 13, 2009
- Two Americans share Nobel Prize for Economics, Los Angeles Times, October 13, 2009
- Foreign policy: At last, a deserving Nobel winner, NPR, October 13, 2009
- American is first woman to win economics Nobel, USA Today, October 13, 2009
- Nobel looks outside markets, Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2009
- Real-world research wins Nobel Prize in Economics, Washington Post, October 13, 2009
- Two Nobel winners may shape financial crisis debate, ABC News, October 12, 2009
- Two Americans win Nobel for economics, CNNMoney.com, October 12, 2009
- Governing the commons, Forbes.com, October 12, 2009
- Why Elinor Ostrom matters, Forbes.com, October 12, 2009
- Two Americans are awarded Nobel in economics, New York Times, October 12, 2009
- A Nobel first: economics prize goes to a woman, Reuters, October 12, 2009
- A Nobel for practical economics, Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2009
