Joseph Stiglitz is an American economist and a professor at Columbia University. He is known for his work on information asymmetry, which explores how unequal information between parties can lead to market failures. Stiglitz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 for his contributions to the field. In addition to his academic work, Stiglitz has served as the chief economist at the World Bank and as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton. He is also a prominent advocate for economic reforms and has written extensively on issues like globalization and inequality.