The Department of Economics mourns the passing of Dr. Patrick L. Bajari, a cherished colleague, teacher, and mentor whose contributions left a lasting mark on our academic community.
For over a decade, Patrick served as an integral member of our department, generously sharing his expertise while balancing his role as Chief Economist at Amazon. His dedication to our students was unwavering—he taught two Ph.D. courses each year, supervised dozens of doctoral students, and meticulously reviewed hundreds of assistant professor applications. Through his teaching and mentorship, Patrick opened doors for students to explore the dynamic intersection of economics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence—an area he helped pioneer within both academia and industry.
His commitment inspired many of our Ph.D. students to pursue internships and careers at Amazon and other leading tech companies, where they continue to carry forward his legacy of innovation and impact. We are deeply grateful for his enduring influence on our department and the field of economics. He will be greatly missed.