The “middle class” can be hard to define. A new report from Duke University suggests that for African Americans it’s simply hard to find — and that’s in the best of circumstances. The paper from researchers at Duke’s Samuel DuBois Cook Center for Social Equity finds that when using wealth as the defining criteria to demarcate class status, the middle class of black Americans is proportionately much smaller than the white middle class. “Even before the current pandemic exacerbated racial inequities, black Americans in the… read more about Middle class not a level playing field for blacks, new Duke research finds »
With the 2020 commencement ceremony postponed, Duke Econ wanted to do something to honor our graduates. Along with the campus-wide Marking the Moment celebration that took place on May 10, we also put together three videos from the department to our undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students. Featuring well-wishes from faculty, staff, and fellow students, the videos are not meant to be a replacement for commencement, but to show that we are still celebrating with you and your families, albeit from a distance. We hope… read more about Duke Economics Celebrates 2020 Graduates »
Congratulations to the following student award winners from Duke University units in 2020. African & African American Studies John Hope Franklin Award for Academic Excellence: Elizabeth DuBard GrantlandKarla FC Holloway Award for University Service: Beza GebremariamMary McLeod Bethune Writing Award: Jenna ClaybornWalter C. Burford Award for Community Service: Kayla Lynn Corredera-Wells Art, Art History & Visual Studies … read more about Student Honors and Laurels for 2020 »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Eighteen Duke students and alumni have been awarded Fulbright placements to teach English, study and do research abroad during the 2020-2021 academic year.The Fulbright US Student Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, offering opportunities in over 140 countries. The Fulbright award is designed to facilitate cultural exchange and increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries.The awards are announced on a… read more about Eighteen Duke Students And Alumni Awarded Fulbright Scholarships »
T. “Dudley” Wallace, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics, passed away on Saturday, April 18 at his home in Cape Carteret, North Carolina. He was 87 years old. Wallace was born in rural Oklahoma, and obtained his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University at Stillwater. While in Oklahoma, he married to his childhood sweetheart, JoAnn. The couple had two children, Pam and Patricia. Wallace earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in… read more about In Memoriam: T. "Dudley" Wallace »
Professor and Dean of Social Sciences Rachel Kranton was recently elected as a new member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS) for 2020. read more about Duke Economics Faculty Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences »
President Vincent Price, Provost Sally Kornbluth and six other Duke faculty members have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS) for 2020. They are among 276 artists, scholars, scientists and leaders honored this year. “The members of the class of 2020 have excelled in laboratories and lecture halls, they have amazed on concert stages and in surgical suites, and they have led in board rooms and courtrooms,” Academy President David W. Oxtoby said in a statement. “With today’s election… read more about Dean of Social Sciences and 7 Senior Faculty Join American Academy of Arts & Sciences »
The Duke Financial Economics Center (DFE) has named seniors Karam Katariya and Julia Weidman as the 2019-2020 recipients of the DFE Leadership Award. Each spring, the DFE honors one to three seniors with the award for their initiative in finance-related activities at Duke, dedication to peer mentoring, and contributions to the center. Both Katariya and Weidman will graduate this May with B.S. degrees in economics with a concentration in finance. DFE Teaching Director Emma Rasiel commented, “Julia and Karam exemplify those… read more about Duke Financial Economics Center Announces 2019-2020 Leadership Award Winners »
Senior econ major Bigyan Babu Regmi was awarded a fellowship to study at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. Regmi, one of 119 recipients, will pursue a master’s degree in China studies with a focus on economics and to explore Sino-Nepal relations through the lens of politics and international development. read more about Duke Econ Student Wins Fellowship at Yenching Academy of Peking University »
The Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards recognize annually one community partner, one faculty member, and one graduating senior for their outstanding commitment to the ideals of service-learning. We are pleased to recognize the following award recipients for their excellent work: STUDENT RECIPIENT: Axel Herrera Ramos (Duke ‘20) Axel Herrera Ramos, a double major in Economics and Sociology, was born in Honduras and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven with his family. He… read more about 2020 Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Award Winners »
Spring 2020 has brought more challenges to Duke than anyone expected. How have students been adjusting to the disruption of their normal campus lives? We talked with three of our Duke Econ student workers, Jasmine Wen, Kevin Feng, and Kevin Tan, all first-years, about how they are dealing with online classes, what they are missing most, and how they are taking care of themselves. All three of the students said that the adjustment to online learning hasn’t been as challenging as they anticipated. “We are all on the same… read more about Duke Students Adjust to Unconventional Learning Landscape »
Duke Econ senior Axel Herrera Ramos has been awarded the 2020 Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Award. The annual award is given to one community partner, one faculty member, and one graduating senior for their "outstanding commitment to the ideals of service-learning." read more about Duke Econ Major Recipient of 2020 Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Award »
A massive infusion of government cash and other resources is needed to help keep families afloat during the pandemic, a trio of Duke scholars said Tuesday. The recently approved $2 trillion stimulus bill won’t come close to solving the problems facing America’s working families, particularly African Americans, children and people who rely on government assistance to eat, they said during a web-based press conference. Here are excerpts: ON WHAT BLACK FAMILIES FACE RIGHT NOW William “Sandy” Darity,… read more about Duke Experts on How to Help Struggling Families in The Pandemic »
In a video interview, professor Connel Fullenkamp discusses what steps the federal government should take to ease the financial burden of homeowners and renters during the pandemic. read more about Duke Prof: Government Should Expand Mortgage Forbearance for Homeowners, Renters »
For the first time in program history, the M.S. Economics & Computation (MSEC) held a visit day for prospective students on March 30. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the visit day was held via Zoom. MSEC is a joint program with the Computer Science department for students interested in learning about computational mechanism design with applications to economics. Admitted students were able to chat with current students, administrators, and professors. Master’s Program Assistant Addie Stagg said that the… read more about Master's Program Holds First Visit Day for Accepted Students »
Professor Elizabeth O. Ananat recently conducted a survey to look at how working families are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She found a reduction in work hours, an increase in mental health concerns, and a lack of policy support for families. read more about A Snapshot of the Coronavirus Pandemic’s Impact on Working Families »
Research by professor Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato and Daniel Garrett is featured in the AEA "Chart of the Week." Their paper looks at the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and its impact on job creation. read more about Investment Tax Cuts and Jobs »
When word came down from Duke that all in-person events were to be canceled, rescheduled, or made virtual, program coordinator Christyn Klinck and staff assistant Chelsea Fillippa had a dilemma: what were they going to do about the Ph.D. prospective student day that they had been organizing for months? “Christyn and I ‘met’ quite a few times to figure out how to make the event a success,” said Fillippa. “We wanted to keep it to as close to our normal visit day as possible.” The event took place on Monday, March 23. The… read more about Ph.D. Visit Day Moves Online »
Professor Emma Rasiel and other Duke experts talk about the stock markets, parenting, and taking breaks from the news during a pandemic. read more about Parenting in a Pandemic: Duke Experts on Helping Your Kids--and Yourself »
When you finish reading this story, go take a walk. Clear your head. Log off of Twitter. Step away from pandemic news. It’ll be good for you. That’s one tip from three Duke experts who spoke to media Tuesday about various ways panic affects our lives -- and what we can do to mitigate it. Here are more highlights: On taking breaks from coronavirus news Emma Rasiel: “It’s really hard. One of the things we’re seeing here is that we are now more than ever in a 24-hour news cycle with vast amounts of social… read more about Parenting in a Pandemic: Duke Experts on Helping Your Kids -- and Yourselves »
With all the uncertainty in the world right now, Ph.D. student Amanda Grittner wasn’t going to let COVID-19 get in the way of defending her dissertation, titled Essays in Labor Economics: Effects of Immigration Policy on Vulnerable Populations. On March 16, Grittner was the first-ever Duke Economics Ph.D. student to defend a dissertation remotely. “That day Duke cancelled classes I knew I had to find a way to do it all online,” said Grittner. She emailed the Graduate School to ask for guidance on online defenses,… read more about Duke Econ Celebrates First All-Remote Ph.D. Defense »
With all the uncertainty in the world right now, Ph.D. student Amanda Grittner wasn’t going to let COVID-19 get in the way of defending her dissertation, titled Essays in Labor Economics: Effects of Immigration Policy on Vulnerable Populations. On March 16, Grittner was the first-ever Duke Economics Ph.D. student to defend a dissertation remotely. “That day Duke cancelled classes I knew I had to find a way to do it all online,” said Grittner. She emailed the Graduate School to ask for guidance on online defenses,… read more about Duke Econ Celebrates First All-Remote Ph.D. Defense »
Two Duke Econ alumni were awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, which provides funding to study at Stanford. Senior econ major Jenny Jiao was just announced as the first graduating senior from Duke to be awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Jiao will attend Stanford law school next fall, where she plans to become a civil rights lawyer. Maya Durvasula ('18) was awarded the scholarship as well. Durvasula will pursue a joint JD/Ph.D. degree in law and economics. read more about Duke Econ Senior and Alumna Win Knight-Hennessy Scholarships »
Professor Emma Rasiel talks about what a black swan event, such as COVID-19, could do to financial markets. read more about Black Swan Events and How They Affect the Markets »
Duke University students Maya Durvasula, Class of 2018, and Jenny Jiao, Class of 2020, have been awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. The award provides full funding for the graduate program of the student’s choosing at Stanford University. Jiao and Durvasula are part of the third group to be awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship at Stanford. Jiao will enroll as a law student, while Durvasula will pursue a joint JD/Ph.D. degree in law and economics. The scholarship arose out of a gift from Nike founder Phil Knight,… read more about Duke Senior and Duke Alumna Win Knight-Hennessy Scholarships »
Professor Edward Tower and coauthors look at investment giants Vanguard and Fidelity to assess which one provides the best returns for investments. read more about Researchers Compared Vanguard And Fidelity Funds. Here’s What They Found »
Professor Dan Ariely discusses some of the way banks are encouraging consumers to save for big purchases. read more about How Banks are Motivating Customers to Save up for Big Purchases »
Professor Steven Medema talks about the first milestone of the history of economics with the Planet Money podcast. Medema's new book is now available for purchase. read more about The First Milestone In The History of Economics »
Econ alumnus Tai Chen T '15 reflects on his Bass Connections project, and how it shaped how he works with students at his current position. read more about Econ Alumnus Uses Duke Experience to Expand Student Potential »
Professor Vincent Conitzer was one of seven recipients of the inaugural National Science Foundation 2026 Idea Machine prize competition. read more about NSF Selects 7 winners from its First-Ever NSF 2026 Idea Machine Prize Competition »