This year Orientation Week for 91 incoming Duke Economics master’s students started off with a bang — or, more accurately, a rare astronomical event. On Monday a near-total eclipse of the sun was visible in Durham, with the maximum eclipse taking place shortly after scheduled breakaway group advising sessions. “We plan the department's Orientation Week several months in advance, and it always falls between orientation week for international students and the first week of classes,” said M.A. Program Assistant Addie Stagg. “… read more about Orientation Week Begins for New Master's Students »
A new VoxChina piece by Professors Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato, Daniel Yi Xu, and co-authors Zhao Chen and Zhikuo Liu, summarizes their recent work on how tax incentives for R&D affect investment evasion and total factor productivity. read more about Notching R&D Investment With Corporate Income Tax Cuts in China »
Myxx, a startup borne from Duke Economics alumna Monica Wood's passion for cooking and healthy eating, aims to revolutionize grocery shopping by connecting brands to consumers and transforming recipes into grocery lists. read more about Alumni Spotlight: Monica Wood (MAE '07) »
Corporate tax reform discussions tend to focus on the statutory rate, but lawmakers would be better off addressing the credits and other loopholes that leave governments with dwindling revenues, according to a new working paper co-authored by Professor Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato. read more about How Changing Corporate Tax Rates Affects the Economy, Government Revenue »
In newly published research in the July 2017 issue of Child Care in Practice, Louden Richason (B.S. '19) uses interviews and insight gained through the Kenan Institute for Ethics' DukeEngage: Dublin program to analyze child protection services for refugees in Ireland. read more about Rising Senior Louden Richason Publishes Research on Refugee Children »
There is no surer sign that summer is winding down than the arrival of new students. For faculty and staff here in the Department of Economics, this coincides with the Ph.D. student orientation. This morning Director of Graduate Studies Curtis Taylor welcomed a dozen Ph.D. students on behalf of the department. Selected from a pool of 738 applicants, the cohort comprises five women and seven men who collectively hail from six countries: Argentina, China, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Though… read more about Department Welcomes 12 New Ph.D. Students »
Bride kidnapping remains a common practice in a handful of countries. And when young women are kidnapped into marriage, their babies pay a price, suggests new research from Professor Charles Becker. read more about Babies of Kidnapped Brides Suffer, Too »
Professors Hugh Macartney and John Singleton (Ph.D. '17) of the University of Rochester published a paper this month in National Bureau of Economic Research illustrating that local school boards can do quite a bit to fight back against racial segregation. read more about School Segregation Is Back, Big Time — But the Solution Is Close to Home »
Recent economics graduates and roommates of three years Guilbert Francois and Justin Elliott are accomplished and, more than likely, on their way to great things. Guilbert will work for Microsoft post-graduation, and Justin will be a trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. read more about Roommates: Guilbert Francois and Justin Elliott »
In the latest installment of #BytesChat, a roundtable of economists, including Professor Michelle Connolly, discuss the use — and misuse — of economics at the Federal Communications Commission. read more about Bringing Economics Back into the Net Neutrality Debate »
Congress will be making changes to a priority review voucher program designed by Professors David Ridley and Jeffrey Moe to encourage drug development for neglected diseases. Ridley and Moe offer recommendations that they believe would better serve the people suffering from such diseases. read more about An FDA Drug Voucher Program Needs a Reboot »
A team of researchers recently developed a new way to compute potential economic damages from climate change. Professor Billy Pizer says estimates such as these are important because they can improve cost-benefit analyses related to environmental regulations. read more about What's the Damage from Climate Change? »
Do energy efficiency “audits” really benefit companies over time? A team of Duke researchers, which includes Professor Gale Boyd, have been tackling this question as it applies to a long-running Department of Energy effort that is slated for elimination. read more about Energy Program on Chopping Block, But New Data Suggest It Works »
Improved cook stoves lower emissions, cut firewood use, and reduce forest degradation, but the uptake of such stoves has been slow. Professor Subhrendu Pattanayak and Research Associate Lauren Masatsugu examine carbon financing as a way to increase sales. read more about New Finance for Old (Technology) Problems? Saving the Planet With Better Cook Stoves »
Professor Philip Cook comments about the study he led debunking a claim of greatly improved trauma care for gunshot victims. "What is bizarre is that you see these patterns being reported as if they are gospel, and it just doesn't square," he said. read more about Flawed Gun Data Lead to Wrong Conclusions, Researchers Say »
In just 25 years, alumnus John B. Guerard (B.A. '75) already has had a storied career as an academic, author, and financial economist. "John is one of our eminent Duke undergraduate alumni. He’s become highly respected in his profession and has published in top journals," said Professor Edward Tower. Within the world of finance, he has worked with such firms as Drexel Burnham Lambert, the DAIS Group at Drexel, Daiwa Securities Trust Company, and Vantage Global Advisors. While at Daiwa, Guerard co-managed a… read more about Alumni Spotlight: John B. Guerard (B.A. '75) »
Widespread job loss can create financial and emotional stress that prevents children from attending college. The Atlantic covers a Duke study by Professors Elizabeth Ananat, Anna Gassman-Pines and Christina Gibson-Davis, with a colleague at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. read more about How Factory Closures Doom the Next Generation »
The Sanford School has two prominent retirements this summer: Helen Ladd, whose research focuses on the economics of education, and Philip J. Cook, whose recent research has focused on the economics of crime. read more about Q&A: Helen F. Ladd and Philip J. Cook on Policy »
The achievement gap between white students and students of color is narrowing. What will it take to close it for good? Professor William Darity, Jr. offers insights. read more about How Schools, Parents and Organizations Are Trying to Close the Achievement Gap »
Last month the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put forward a notice of proposed rulemaking to scale back on net neutrality regulations and recently reopened a docket for public comments. Under the 2015 net neutrality rules, internet service providers were reclassified under Title II as common carriers and prohibited from slowing, blocking, or prioritizing web traffic. Professor Michelle Connolly, former FCC chief economist from 2006 to 2007 and 2008 to 2009, addressed the FCC’s latest actions during her closing… read more about Professor Michelle Connolly Comments on FCC Plan to Reverse Title II Net Neutrality »
Chunxiao Gao, a rising sophomore studying economics and taking statistics classes, said she applied to DukeEngage Durham because she wants to venture outside of her “tiny bubble” on Duke’s campus and use her math skills to help address economic challenges in the community. read more about DukeEngage in the Bull City »
Alumna Andrea Coravos is a recipient of the prestigious Dean's Award for Service to School and Society at Harvard Business School. read more about Andrea Coravos (B.S. '10) Receives Harvard Business School Dean's Award »
Professor William “Sandy” Darity, Jr., founding director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, was honored for his research related to racial inequality and the racial wealth gap in the United States at the 2017 Future of Wealth Summit: Technology, Inclusion and Social Change. read more about William "Sandy" Darity, Jr. Honored With Prestigious Award at 2017 Future of Wealth Summit »
As part of Graduate Education Day, alumnus Hoël Wiesner (MEM '17, B.S. '15) shared research on energy resource assessment that he and a team of students, including Samit Sura (MAE '17), developed for the Energy Data Analytics Lab. read more about Duke Student Shares Energy Data Analytics Lab Research With North Carolina Legislators »
Duke in DC hosted a conversation May 10 on Artificial Intelligence and its coming effect on the job market. Rather than argue that AI will necessarily replace humans wholesale, Professor Vincent Conitzer argued that AI will likely make most jobs safer and easier. read more about Duke in DC Panel Leads Conversation on Artificial Intelligence and Jobs »
For the last four years, Andrew Greenfield has led a double life. By all accounts, he was a typical, high-achieving Blue Devil. Greenfield juggled the heavy course load that comes with being an economics major and computer science minor, while successfully navigating the academic and extracurricular rigmarole his junior and senior years to secure a job on Wall Street. But Greenfield wasn’t just any Blue Devil; he was the Blue Devil. As the Blue Devil mascot, his was the most recognizable face at Duke… read more about The Blue Devil Unmasked: A Q&A With Andrew Greenfield (B.S. ’17) »
The Department of Economics recognized graduates of the class of 2017 at the its annual Graduation Recognition Ceremony in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday, May 14. This year members of the faculty presented diplomas to 16 Ph.D. graduates, 83 M.A. Economics graduates, nine M.S. Statistical and Economic Modeling graduates, six M.S. Economics and Computation graduates, and 230 graduates with an economics major. Speaking on behalf of the department, Professor James Roberts stressed the importance of staying… read more about Duke Economics Celebrates the Class of 2017 »
The History of Economics Society (HES) has named its Best Article Prize the "Craufurd Goodwin Best Article Prize" in honor of Duke Economics Professor Craufurd Goodwin, who passed away on April 20. This change will be effective next month at the 2017 HES Conference in Toronto. “Interestingly enough, Craufurd suggested the creation of the HES ‘best article award’ in the early 1990s. It remained unnamed until now,” said HES President Mauro Boianovsky. Goodwin was a founding member of the Society, as well as a past president… read more about History of Economics Society Best Article Prize Becomes the “Craufurd Goodwin Best Article Prize” »
“It is extremely unusual for a U.S. president to interfere with an investigation involving his own behaviors. It puts at risk checks and balances that are vital to the health of U.S. democracy,” said Professor Timur Kuran in reference to the firing of F.B.I. Director James B. Comey. read more about In the Media: How Abnormal Was Comey's Firing? »
Internationally renowned economist and Carnegie Mellon University Professor Allan H. Meltzer died on May 8. He was 89. As an undergraduate at Duke, Meltzer was active in civil rights and had a law career in mind, but he took a course in economics and was forever changed. read more about In Memoriam: Allan H. Meltzer (B.A. '48) »