Seniors in the economics honors program will give their final presentation and defense of their thesis to the faculty, fellow students and guests.
Light refreshments will be served.
Day 1: Wednesday, April 24, 4:00-6:30PM in Chapin 201
Day 2: Thursday, April 25, 4:00-6:45PM in Chapin 201
Professor Reyes and Professor Rene Reyes of Suffolk University Law School article Abolition Economics was published in the Michigan Journal of Race & Law.
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFP) to two economics alums: Charlie Smith '19 and Juanita Jaramillo '22. Charlie is a Ph.D. student in finance and economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Juanita is starting her Ph.D. in economics and public policy in Fall 2024 at the University of Michigan.
At Amherst both were recipients of the department's James R. Nelson Prize awarded to the senior who has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy.
"The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. A goal of the program is to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM."
The economics department has a newly updated resource center located in our computer lab in Converse 311. Econ major Eliza Williams 26 has been curating and updating materials on graduate programs, internships and other educational programs. We invite you to browse (in the seating area behind the computers) for available opportunities. You can also take a look at the bulletin board in the hallway outside the offices of Profs Sims, Kingston and Ishii for additional options you may be interested in pursuing.
ECON 227
International Trade
Prof. Wang
227-01 TTh 10-11:20
227-02 TTh 1-2:20
This course will examine the patterns, causes, and consequences of international trade. We will begin by exploring empirical data on international trade, addressing questions such as: How has trade evolved over time? Which countries exhibit trade deficits or surpluses? And which country pairs trade more than others? Moving forward, we will use classic models of international trade to discuss the determinants of trade patterns. Key questions we will address include: Why and how much do nations trade? What factors determine the composition of exported goods of a given country? Subsequently, we will analyze the impact of international trade, particularly its effects on welfare, wages, employment, and inequality. We will examine who may benefit and who may lose as a result of opening to trade. In the final section, we will discuss the implications of various trade policies, including tariffs, quotas, export subsidies, and trade agreements. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the application of theoretical frameworks to explain trade patterns observed in data and to analyze the impact of trade openness and policies. Students will actively participate in discussions and write policy briefs. Requisite: ECON 111/111E. Limited to 25 students. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Wang.
ECON 426
Economics of Work and Family
Visiting Fellow Prof. Kelly Ragan, Stockholm School of Economics
TTh 1-2:20PM
This course explores—empirically, historically, comparatively, and theoretically—the changing significance, timing, and meaning of work, career, dating, cohabiting, marriage, family, and other personal economic decisions. Readings and assignments will emphasize empirical, quantitative, and theoretical analysis of these topics as well as important underlying mechanisms, such as contraceptive access and social norms, in shaping economic decisions. The course will involve students in the creative process of researching, writing, and presenting original research using primary sources (often large-scale, cross-section data sets). The analytical tools developed in the classroom will be applied to current policy discussions related to The Economics of Work and Family using current media sources. Requisite: ECON 300/301, ECON 360/361. Limited to 15 students. Fall semester. Visiting Fellow Kelly Ragan, Stockholm School of Economics.
ECON 276
Well-Being and Economic Thought
Prof. Barbezat
MW 2:30-3:50
“Economics” is often defined as the study of the allocation of scarce resources. But what do we want to achieve from this allocation? We seem to want some idea of well-being – either for ourselves, certain groups or for a society at large. Economics is essentially the study of how we and the societies around us provide opportunities (sometimes only for selected groups…) to attain and sustain well-being given the constraints faced. This course analyzes the idea of economic “well-being” (utility) and examines the different ways in which the history of economic thought has conceived of well-being from antiquity to the present day, in part to study how these conceptions of well-being have affected economic analysis. We will examine the long history of this question with an emphasis on the contemporary period, looking carefully at neoclassical thought and its “heterodox” critics. Requisite: ECON 111/111E or its equivalent. Limited to 30 students.
ECON 429
Geospatial Analysis in Development Economics
Prof. Gebresilasse
MW 2:30-3:50
In this course, we will explore key development topics with a focus on research papers that use geospatial analysis to answer fundamental questions related to economic development. Geospatial analysis has been applied in economic research to examine an array of factors that shape economic development including roads, internet access, trade links, institutions, slavery, climate change, and inequality. We will carefully read a selection of journal articles that employ geospatial analysis, paying close attention both to the important economic insights as well as the econometric and geospatial methodologies employed in the articles. The course will begin with an introduction of the main types of datasets, tools and techniques employed in geospatial analysis using R programming language. In addition to carefully studying and discussing selected research papers that apply geospatial analysis, students will also replicate some of the analyses presented in these papers. Overall, the course aims to familiarize students with the application of geospatial analysis in cutting-edge economic research and enable them to develop an original research project that makes use of the tools and techniques explored in the course. Requisite: ECON 300/301 and ECON 360/361. Limited to 15 students.
**PLEASE NOTE: Economics declarations may take up to two weeks to process in S24. Please plan accordingly**
There are several steps you must complete to declare a major in economics:
Please note the following:
At our second annual Autumn Reception on September 14, four students won prizes for having the closest guesses to the number of Hershey's Kisses in one jar (172 was the magic number.) Congratulations to Rory Zhang 27 (1st), Aryen Shrestha 23 (2nd), Guilherme Santos Rocha 24 (3rd) and Shreya Mathew 25 (4th)!
Professor Hyman's research paper College Counseling in the Classroom: Randomized Evaluation of a Teacher-Based Apprach to College Advising was selected to be presented at the prestigious National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Economics of Education Fall 2023 meeting. See the meeting agenda and watch Prof. Hyman's presentation live-streamed at the NBER YouTube channel on Thursday, November 30th at 9:00AM in the links below
The Biden-Harris Administration recently released the 2023 Economic Report of the President together with the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers and cited Prof. Hyman's research. You can find his work on the following pages:
ECON 205 **Sophomore Seminar**
Pluralist Economics
Prof. Reyes
TTh 11:30-12:50
Mainstream economics is fundamentally neoliberal, employing narratives of meritocracy to explain, normalize, and justify racial capitalism and the inequality and exploitation it inevitability produces. Pluralist economics provides alternative explanations and understandings, directly challenging the conceptualizations, models, methods, values, topics, and pedagogy of economic practice. This sophomore seminar engages students in an exploration of pluralist economics. Examples of pluralist approaches include: feminist economics, critical race theory, stratification economics, Marxist economics, cooperative economics, behavioral economics, institutional economics, and abolition economics. Given the interweaving of mainstream economics, capitalism, and white supremacy, this engagement with pluralist approaches entails an uncovering of and challenge to racist capitalist logics that are central to both economics and the economy. Together, we will endeavor to build a thoughtful, creative, and flexibly pluralist approach to our work as economic thinkers. REQUISITE: ECON 111/111E. Limited to 15 students.
ECON 450
Monetary Theory and Policy
Prof. White
MW 12:30-1:50
The way a society creates and distributes money has a large impact on people’s income, wealth, employment opportunities, and financial security more generally. In this course, we will study modern monetary institutions and their impact on the economy. We will use both empirical and theoretical frameworks to address questions like: What causes inflation? How do interest rate changes affect employment? and How should policymakers decide what actions to take? We will examine the operational aspects of modern central banks as well as how and why the banks have evolved over time. We will also assess central bank tools to address inequality and climate change. Students will read research papers, follow current policy debates and decisions, and engage in independent research projects. REQUISITE: ECON 330/331, ECON 360/361. Limited to 15 students.
Some members of the Economics Department faculty posed for a group photo at Commencement 2022. Pictured L-R front: Professors Baisa, Khan, Theoharides, Sims, Ishii. Pictured L-R back: Professors Gebresilasse, Honig, Kingston
Professor Reyes poses with newly graduated economics major Ella Peterson 22 and her mother at Commencement 2022 held on May 29, 2022
Professor Sims (L) and Professor Reyes (R) pose with Audrey Cheng 20 at the long awaited Commencement 2020 ceremony held on June 11, 2022
Economics and Education Studies major Ariana Rodriguez is featured in this week's Amherst Student feature Thoughts on Theses. Ariana traveled home to El Salvador this summer with funding from the Economics Department Summer Fellowship program to embark on research for her thesis on public school nutrition programs.
ECON 111/111E Wait Lists are maintained by the faculty. Please submit your request via Google Form to be wait listed. Note that there is no guarantee a spot will open up.
Further information about ECON 111 can be found at Getting Started in the Major.
The F23 Economics Proficiency Exam is self scheduled in the following time frame: Monday, September 4th at 12AM -Wednesday, September 6th at 11:59PM. You may take it at any point between these dates. Details about the exam can be found on the Economics Proficiency Exam - Fall 2023 Google Form.
Amherst Economics alum Audrey Cheng '20 has been published in the recent issue of Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. The paper began as her Amherst College thesis Conservation and Development in China's Nature Reserves: Win-Win or Trade-Offs? Her co-authors are her thesis advisor Kate Sims, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies at Amherst and YuanYuan Yi of China Center for Economic Research, National School of Development at Peking University. Cheng is currently a student at Harvard Law School.
In May Haoran Tong '23 was highlighted in Behind the Scenes: Senior Theses Projects for his work on two theses, one for LJST and one for Economics. And in August Amherst Magazine featured his impressive work and accomplishments as an undergrad in an article titled The Pride of Amherst. Tong is also the 2023 recipient of The James R. Nelson Memorial Award, presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education.
In a VoxDev Development Economics podcast, Prof. Mesay Gebresilasse discusses his work which examines the complementarities in the effects of expansions in rural roads and extension programs on agricultural productivity.
At the start of the summer Prof. Mesay Gebresilasse along with other Amherst faculty and administrators joined Provost Epstein on a trip to Cape Town. They visited the University of Cape Town the top university in Africa to meet with faculty and administrators, and spent time exploring the University's study-away programs for potential future partnerships with Amherst. Prof. Gebresilasse has been a member of the economics department since 2019 and his areas of economic expertise are in development and applied microeconomics.
Prof. Theoharides was recently interviewed for NPR's Marketplace feature Ukrainians Abroad Find New Ways to Send Money Back Home.
The November edition of the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy feautures Prof. Hyman's paper The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers.
The Bernstein Prize funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son did at Amherst College is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics: Juanita Jaramillo 22, Aaron Rennert 22
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy: Juanita Jaramillo 22, David Xu 23E
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education: Ruby Hastie 22, Benjamin Newman 22
The Jeanne Reinle Prize named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics: Abdullah Brown-El 22, Juanita Jaramillo 22, Ella Peterson 22, Aaron Rennert 22
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize to be awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College: Sara Kao 23, Yee-Lynn Lee 23, Aiqi Sun 23
The Hamilton Prize which was established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from 1915-1923, is awarded to that first year student who ranks highest in the economics courses he or she has taken: Marius Cotorobai 25, Allison Deegan 24, Roman Moniz 25
The Bernstein Prize funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son did at Amherst College is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics: Sara Kao 23
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy: Xinyu Ni 23
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education: Haoran Tong 23
The Jeanne Reinle Prize named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics: Maira Owais 23, Ella Steciuk 23
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize to be awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College: Aidan Cook 24, Ernest Protas 24, Gillian Richard 24, Aryen Shrestha 24
The Hamilton Prize which was established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from 1915-1923, is awarded to that first year student who ranks highest in the economics courses he or she has taken: Winton Garrelts 26, Andrew Glassford 26, Ivy Haight 25, Rhine Hazra 26
The Department of Economics invites the Class of 2023/23E and their guests to a reception for majors on Saturday, May 27 from 5:00-6:30PM in the Nicholson Economics Common Room (Converse 306).
Light refreshments and bar.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Economics Anti-Racist Report for Students - May 2023.pdf | 117.08 KB |
Seniors in the economics honors program will give their final presentation and defense of their theses to the faculty, fellow students and guests.
Light refreshments will be served.
Day 1: Wednesday, April 26, 4:00-6:30PM in Paino (Beneski)
Day 2: Thursday, April 27, 4:00-6:30PM in Paino (Beneski)
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Time: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Location: Stirn Auditorium, Mead Museum
Professor Dynarski, herself a first-generation college graduate, will speak on financial aid and increasing college access for disadvantaged students. Her lecture is sponsored by Amherst's Department of Economics, the Education Studies Program, the Lamont and Eastman Lecture Funds, and the Provost and Dean of the Faculty's Office.
Susan Dynarski is Patricia Albjerg Graham Professor of Education at Harvard University. She is a faculty research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a member of the National Academy of Education, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Carnegie Fellow. Dynarski’s research focuses on reducing inequality in education. She has consulted on education and tax policy with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, White House, Treasury, and the Department of Education. She has testified to the US Senate Finance and HELP Committees, the US House Ways and Means Committee, and the President's Commission on Tax Reform.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Professor Joshua Hyman at jhyman@amherst.edu
A recent article on the front page of the New York Times links to two studies by Prof. Joshua Hyman about the effects of increased school funding for disadvantaged school districts. Find the citations in the article by searching “Reduce local property taxes” and “show the gains.”
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Thesis Proposal Presentation Schedule, Fall 2022.pdf | 92.03 KB |
Fall 2022:
Spring 2023 (proposed but not finalized):
Prof. Theoharides has two joint papers recently accepted for publication:
Medical Worker Migration and Origin-Country Human Capital: Evidence from U.S. Visa Policy at Review of Economics and Statistics. She presented this at NBER Summer Institute Development meetings this summer.
Child Labor and Economic Development at the Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics.
For Spring 2022 economics major declarations can be processed in person or remotely.
Before you declare please have these required documents:
1. Declaration of Major Form from the Registrar's Office (completed as much as possible)
2. Copy of your transcript from ACData
3. Email from your current academic adviser approving your economics major declaration
Then follow these steps:
1. In-person declaration: Bring required documents to Amy Johnson, Economics Academic Department Coordinator in Converse 306-A. You will receive a department shirt at time of declaration.
2. Remote declaration: Complete the Google form linked below. You will receive an email confirming your declation is processed and a department shirt in campus mail.
Please Note: You do not need to seek the signature of the department chair - that will be handled by the ADC while processing your declaration.
Prof. Theoharides has two joint papers recently accepted for publication:
Medical Worker Migration and Origin-Country Human Capital: Evidence from U.S. Visa Policy at Review of Economics and Statistics. She presented this at NBER Summer Institute Development meetings this summer.
Child Labor and Economic Development at the Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics.
In a VoxDev Development Economics podcast, Prof. Mesay Gebresilasse discusses his work which examines the complementarities in the effects of expansions in rural roads and extension programs on agricultural productivity.
In Fall 2022:
In Spring 2023 (proposed but not finalized):
Congratulations to our majors for their department prizes!
The Bernstein Prize funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son did at Amherst College is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics: Claire Holleman 21, Sean Gao 21
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy: Emily Kiernan 21, Kevin Ma 21
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education: Seamus Lawton 21, Andrew Swenson 21, Yujing (Crystal) Zhou 21
The Jeanne Reinle Prize named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics: Ahliaa Moore 21, Andrew Swenson 21
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize to be awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College: Naya Burshan 22, Aaron Rennert 22, David Xu 22
The Hamilton Prize which was established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from 1915-1923, is awarded to that first year student who ranks highest in the economics courses he or she has taken: Sara Kao 23, William Marshall 24, Lucas Romualdo 24
Congratulations to our majors for their department prizes!
The Bernstein Prize funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son did at Amherst College is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics: Audrey Cheng 20, Emily Young 20
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy: Jackson Herrick 20, Morgan Yurosek 20
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education: Alejandra Castro 20, Peyton Lane 20
The Jeanne Reinle Prize named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics: Kelly Chian 20, Ralph Skinner 20
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize to be awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College: Pedro Balduino Morais 21, Sirig Gurung 21, Seamus Lawton, 21, Andrew Swenson 21, Yujing (Crystal) Zhou 21
The Hamilton Prize which was established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from 1915-1923, is awarded to that first year student who ranks highest in the economics courses he or she has taken: Quentin Jeyaretnam 23, Yee-Lynn Lee 23, David Xu 22
Economics major Lauren Pelosi's paper Investing Altruistic Demand During COVID was recently feaured in the 2021 edition of Equilibria: Duke Economics Review.
The following alums were recently announced as recipients of Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation:
Julia Yates 16 (Social Sciences - Economics), Hannah Firestone 19 (Social Sciences - Economics), Jamie Tucker-Foltz 19 (Comp/IS/Eng - Algorithms and Theoretical Foundations) and Julia Turner 19 (Social Sciences - Public Policy) all won National Science Foundation Awards.
Congratulations to all!
Class of 2000 economics major Eric Budish had an op-ed in a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal, Bigger is Better When it Comes to Vaccine Production.
Senior economics major Andrew Swenson was recently featured in the Amherst Student "Thoughts on Theses" column. Andrew is writing a thesis "...at the intersection of urban economics and industrial organization economics" and is advised by Professor Ishii.
Recent alum Felix Stetsenko's paper Raise the Seawalls: Local Governments and Flood Protection was recently published in the Undergraduate Economic Review published by Illinois Wesleyan University.
Prof. Gebresilasse has a working paper (pre-publication) at the National Bureau of Economic Research, Rugged Individualism and Collective (In)action During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The economics department will be discontinuing our hard copy subscription to "The Economist" for the duration of remote learning.
The college has access to the publication online so you can continue to read it for news and research.
If you have questions or problems regarding this publication or access to it, contact Dawn Cadogan, Social Sciences Librarian at Frost: dcadogan@amherst.edu
Economics major Juan Agudelo attended the 2020 virtual American Economics Association Summer Program where he received the Ron Oaxaca Award for Best Paper with his work "The Untold Story of the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Police Officers and In-school Arrests" co-authored with Sara Torres-Inda. Congratulations to Juan from the economics department!
Read moreNew alum Audrey Cheng 20 finished a dual major of economics and music and is headed to Yale Law School as a pre-doctoral fellow. Congratulations to Audrey!
Prof. Theoharides was recently featured in a report on BBC World Business Report explaining Covid-19's impact on remittances. Her segment begins at 14:48.
Congratulations to our majors for their department prizes awarded on May 8th!
The Bernstein Prize funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son did at Amherst College is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics: Simon Essig Aberg 19, Mujin Choi 19
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy: Charles Smith 19, Julia Turner 19
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education: Hayes Honea 19
The Jeanne Reinle Prize named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics: Hannah Firestone 19
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize to be awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College: Jackson Herrick 20, Peyton Lane 20, Morgan Yurosek 20
The Hamilton Prize which was established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from 1915-1923, is awarded to that first year student who ranks highest in the economics courses he or she has taken: Sarah Kim 21, Sophia Fikke 22, Aaron Rennert 22, Benjamin Stick 22
In "A Snapshot of the Resilient Class of 2020" the economics department is cited as one of the top six most declared majors at Amherst as well as being one of five departments to have the largest number of students graduating with honors (14 this year!)
Prof. White's Spring 2020 Macroeconomics course took some unplanned paths to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the economy as it was happening.
Dr. Adam Block '99 and his wife Dr. Lauren Block have recently released a free children's book on COVID-19:
Discover along with eight-year-old Kelly the science behind the COVID-19 illness, viral transmission, basic epidemiology, and social distancing needed to protect your kids and community. Dr. Lauren Block MD MPH, a primary care physician and medical educator and Dr. Adam Block PhD, a health economist and public health professor, are parents of three curious kids.
After months treating COVID-19 patients in New York City this is what we teach our children about the science behind the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the only children's book that goes into depth on the science behind the spread of coronavirus, how the virus causes the symptoms it does, and how vaccines contribute to herd immunity. You and your children will understand why the virus spreads so rapidly, how handwashing and social distancing can prevent transmission, how kids can help others during the pandemic, how people who become ill are treated in the hospital, and how you can protect your family from infection.
On Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30, 2020 seniors in the economics honors program gave their final presentation and defense of their theses to the faculty, fellow students and guests via Zoom. This event usually takes place in Paino lecture hall each spring and department majors are encouraged to attend and support their classmates and learn about the economics thesis process.
This year's honors cohort of 14 students meant that there were a lot of smiling and waving boxes in each Zoom session. During the in-person event there are breaks for refreshments and this semester Professor Reyes kept that tradition going by mailing our thesis students homemade cookies to snack on during the two nights of presentations!
Professor Hyman was recently published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management: Can Light-Touch College-Going Interventions Make a Difference? Evidence from a Statewide Experiment in Michigan.
The issue is available to read in Nicholson Commons (Converse 306).
In February the Economics Department sponsored three students to attend the second annual Sadie T.M. Alexander Conference for Economics and Related Fields in Washington DC. Natasha Semwaga '22, Maya Roberts '23 and Cynthia Henry '22 attended keynotes and break-out sessions at the Urban Institute and reported there were exciting opportunities for learning and networking. The conference is presented by the Sadie Collective - per their website: "Founded by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman and Fanta Traore, and co-led by an incredible team of young Black women, the Sadie Collective is named after Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the first African American to earn her doctoral degree in economics in 1921 from the University of Pennsylvania... Our organization aims to bring together Black women at different stages in their academic and/or professional careers in quantitatively demanding fields such as economics, finance and public policy. The Collective provides resources, programs and a community to Sadie Collective members and advocates for broader visibility in the field."
Learn moreProfessor Caroline Theoharides Fall 2019 course, Economics of Migration is featured in recent news about Amherst College.
In 2018 the Journal of Economic Perspectives (JEP) from the American Economics Association asked members to share articles they use in their course syllabi. Their findings were compiled in the Summer 2019 issue and can be found under the Resources tab in our department menu.
Senator Kamala Harris cited the results of a study by Professor Josh Hyman during the September 12th Democratic Debate that black students who have a black teacher during elementary school are more likely to attend college.
You can read Prof. Hyman's study here.
Lucas Davis 96, Professor in Business and Technology at the Haas School of Business at the UC Berkeley recently presented on Mexico Goes Backward on Renewables.
Class of 2019 graduate Julia Turner has joined the School Effectiveness & Inequality Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Research Fellow. Julia's senior honors thesis was titled, "The Impact of Resegregation on the Racial Achievement Gap: Insights from Seattle."
Professor Theoharides case study on child labor in the Philippines was recently featured in an IPA press release: Evidence-Informed Social Protection Programming in the Philippines
Casey McQuillan a 2018 economics graduate is the co-author of an article in Liberty Street Economics: Is the Recent Tax Reform Playing a Role in the Decline of Home Sales?
Amherst Alum Gib Metcalf's new book Paying for Pollution: Why a Carbon Tax is Good for America is out now.
Visiting Lecturer Georgiou was recently published in the Journal of Official Statistics: Extracting Statistical Offices from Policy-Making Bodies to Buttress Official Statistical Production
Professor Sims was recently published in the journal Conservation Biology: Assessing the Local Economic Impacts of Land Protection.
Professor Honig's paper Elections and Capital Flows has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking.
Professor Debnam's popular new course "Economics and Psychology" is profiled in the college's News and Events.
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Research Associates William Nordhaus and Paul Romer have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for their path-breaking research on integrating innovation and climate into the study of economic growth."
Professor Theoharides was recently published in The Journal of the Human Resources: Manila to Malaysia, Quezon to Qatar: International Migration and Its Effects on Origin-Country Human Capital
Professor Reyes was recently published in The Journal of the American Medical Association: A Social Justice Framework for Lead Policy
Professor Debnam was recently published in The American Journal of Agricultural Economics: Selection Effects and Heterogeneous Demand Responses to the Berkeley Soda Tax Vote
Visiting Lecturer Andreas Georgiou '83 was recently given a commendation by the International Statistical Institute in acknowledgement of his "upholding of the highest professional standards in his public service in the pursuit of integrity of statistical systems."