PERI researcher Patrick L. Mason, professor and chair of the UMass Amherst Department of Economics, has been selected by the National Economic Association (NEA) to receive the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award, which celebrates economists whose work promotes the NEA’s mission of focusing on training Black economists, fostering discussions about Black economic experiences and advocating for alternative perspectives in economics.
Mason’s work spans multiple areas of economics, with a focus on labor, political economy, development, education, social identity and crime. He has a particular interest in racial inequality, among others, and helped to establish the field of stratification economics. A highly respected scholar, Mason has authored nearly 100 publications. His most recent book, “The Economics of Structural Racism” (Cambridge University Press, April 2023), further elevates discussions about race and economics.
In addition to his academic contributions to the discipline, Mason has held a number of leadership and service positions, including roles as past president of the NEA, program director of the American Economic Association’s Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession and chairman of the board at Partners for Dignity & Rights.
Mason joined PERI and the UMass faculty in 2022. He was previously a professor of economics at Florida State University, where he also served as associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and as director of the African American Studies Program. He holds a doctorate in economics from The New School, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Edward’s University.
Established in 1973 to honor the legacy of American Ambassador to Liberia Samuel Zazu Westerfield Jr., the award celebrates Black economists whose academic and professional contributions embody “excellence and dedication to the advancement of Black people and expanding the knowledge regarding the Black economic experience.” The award is presented every few years to individuals whose scholarship, teaching, community service and institution-building represent the highest standards of achievement.
Mason will be formally presented with the award at a luncheon during the Allied Social Science Associations’ Annual Meeting in San Francisco on Jan. 4, 2025.
