Economist Milton Makris dies aged 52

University of Essex economics professor Milton Makris has died at the age of 52.

He passed away peacefully on Oct. 14 after undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain tumour.

Prior to working at Essex, Makris taught at the universities of Bristol, Exeter, Leicester, Southampton and Kent. His recent research focused on the study of optimal income taxation, dynamic tax competition and understanding the drivers of R&D investment. 

His research methods focused on theoretical modelling, often combined with experiments and computational analysis.

Makris was also a founding member of Virtual Seminars in Economic Theory (VSET), which provides a digital forum for scholars to present unpublished work to an academic audience.

Head of the University of Kent’s School of Economics Miguel León-Ledesma paid tribute to Makris: ‘Miltos was at Kent between 2019 and 2021 when he moved to Essex. He was a generous, friendly, and positive person who deeply cared for colleagues, students, and his subject. 

Ledesma added: “He will be sorely missed, and I hope we can all spare a thought for his family and close friends. It is a great loss for us personally and for the UK and international Economics community.”

In a post on Twitter, VSET co-founders said: “Miltos will be remembered for his kindness, sense of humor, intellectual prowess, curiosity, and love for life. We miss him deeply.”