Matthew Gentzkow, the Landau Professor of Technology and the Economy at Stanford University, is the faculty director of Stanford Impact Labs (SIL). His research focuses on the economics of media and technology industries and these industries’ impacts on society and democracy. He has studied the impact of social media and digital technologies on outcomes ranging from the political polarization of voters to the well-being of teenagers and adults, with particular attention to how economic forces determine whether or not media markets advance social good. This work has been carried out in partnership with private firms, school districts, and government agencies. He has also studied historical media markets ranging from newspapers in the early 20th century to television in the 1950s.
In 2015, Matthew joined the faculty of Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences after spending 11 years at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Since that time, he has taught and advised undergraduate and graduate students in economics, political science, and related fields. In 2025, Matthew was appointed faculty director of SIL and stepped into the role with strong enthusiasm for the university-wide initiative’s mission to put social science to work for society. The pivotal role SIL played in his own research has given him a keen appreciation for the way SIL supports and transforms high-impact social science research.
Matthew received the 2014 John Bates Clark Medal, given by the American Economic Association to the American economist under the age of forty who has made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the Econometric Society, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and the Editor of American Economic Review: Insights.
He studied at Harvard University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1997, a master’s degree in 2002, and a PhD in 2004. He has a son Julien, a daughter Colette, and a very big dog named Ollie.
