Bajari Memorial Conference

Patrick L. Bajari.

Remembering Pat Bajari: Scholar, Mentor, Trailblazer

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Pat Bajari: A Tribute by His Students, Colleagues, and Friends was held at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Economics in Hanson Hall on October 24–25. Cosponsored by Keystone Strategy, Amazon, and the University of Minnesota Department of Economics, the event brought together Pat’s students, collaborators, mentors, mentees, and friends from across academia and industry to honor a scholar whose influence spanned both worlds. Pat was a pioneering force in industrial organization and a trailblazer in applying economic thinking at scale in the tech sector.

The program included academic research presentations, personal reflections, and a recorded legacy session, with links provided below. Scholarly work from that session is expected to appear in the International Journal of Industrial Organization as a Festschrift in Pat’s honor. It was the kind of gathering Pat had hoped for—one that would allow his family to see firsthand the communities he shaped and the impact of his work. It was therefore especially meaningful that Pat’s family joined the event, later sharing that they “left with a better understanding of the importance of Patrick’s work” and expressing gratitude to Minnesota, Keystone, and Amazon for supporting and organizing the tribute. The conference affirmed not only Pat’s extraordinary professional accomplishments but also the generosity, mentorship, and sincere spirit that defined his life.

Pat’s Minnesota legacy ran deep. He grew up here and is the only person in the history of Minnesota Economics to have been an undergraduate (BS in Economics and Mathematics), a doctoral student (‘97 PhD), and later a member of the faculty. Even after moving to Amazon and later Keystone, he remained closely connected to the department, returning regularly to speak with students and to support the work of the department. As Pat once explained in an interview, “I’m from Minnesota. I was taught to keep your head down, work hard, be sincere, and good things can happen with perseverance.” This conference made clear that the “good things” that happened on account of Pat were truly extraordinary.

Reflections on Pat Bajari’s Legacy in Academia and Industry

 

  • 0:00 Welcome
  • 0:03 Steve Tadelis (Berkely)
  • 19:56 Lanier Benkard (Stanford)
  • 43:52 Han Hong (Stanford)
  • 1:02:51 Matt Khan (USC)
  • 1:10 Greg Richards (Keystone)
  • The legacy session also featured speakers from Amazon: Chris Nosko and Wilko Schulz-Mahlendorf

Academic Papers

Jeremy Fox (Rice University)

“Estimating Matching Games with Profit and Price Data”  with Xun Tang and Kai Liao

Guido Imbens (Stanford University)

“Complex Experiments in Market Places,” based on work with Pat Bajari, Brian Burdick, James McQueen, Lorenzo Masoero, Suhas Vijakumar,Thomas Richardson, and Ido Rosen

Ali Hortaçsu (University of Chicago)

“Dynamic Competition for Sleepy Deposits” with Mark L. Egan, Nathan A. Kaplan, Adi Sunderam, and Vincent Yao

Lu Han (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

“Housing Affordability and the Mobility of Renters” with Nathaniel Baum-Snow and Abdollah Farhoodi

Maryam Saeedi (Carnegie Mellon University)

“Disinformation Wars” with Adrian Casillas, Maryam Farboodi, Layla Hashemi, and Steven Wilson

Stephen Ryan (Washington University in St. Louis)

"Never Running Seven Million Regressions Again” with Denis Nekipelov

Conference Organizers: Tom Holmes and Steve Tadelis

Conference Sponsors: Keystone Strategy, Amazon, and the University of Minnesota Department of Economics