15 May 2015 10:31AM The American Journal of Health Economics (AJHE) today released its second issue online. This publication is unique because it provides a forum for in-depth health economics topics, which cannot be examined as fully by general economics journals. As the AJHE’s editor-in-chief and the organization’s president, Professor Frank Sloan best understands how impactful the journal could be. “Health policy is really growing tremendously as a field, and there’s a global concern about the… read more about New & Noteworthy: Sloan Helms New Health Economics Journal »
11 May 2015 11:20AM Duke University held its 163rd Commencement Ceremony on Sunday morning, May 10, at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Immediately following the main Duke ceremony, the Department of Economics held its Graduation Recognition Ceremony in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Department of Economics recognized 11 graduates with a Ph.D., 61 graduates with a master of arts in economics, five graduates with a master of science in statistical and economic modeling, and approximately 200 graduates with an economics… read more about Duke Economics Celebrates Class of 2015 Graduates »
05 May 2015 11:18AM For La’Qwanda Trice, a lifelong Durhamite and diehard Duke basketball fan, working at the university was a no-brainer. Today marks her one-year anniversary at Duke University and the Department of Economics. Trice, who also goes by “Q” in the office, first joined the Duke Economics team as a staff assistant, and she is now the accounting specialist in Suite 213. When she’s not hunting down errant P-card receipts from faculty and staff, Trice can be found at church or at Red Lobster, her favorite… read more about Staff Spotlight: La'Qwanda Trice »
04 May 2015 1:15PM Professor Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato has been named a 2015 Kauffman Junior Faculty Fellow for his research on the effects of local policies on entrepreneurial activity. He was previously a 2010 Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program recipient. The prize was established in 2008 by the Kauffman Foundation, which aims to “foster a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens in their communities,” specifically in the areas of education and entrepreneurship. This year the… read more about New & Noteworthy: Professor Suárez Serrato Wins 2015 Kauffman Junior Faculty Fellowship »
30 April 2015 10:39AM The Trinity College annual faculty awards last week recognized Professor Connel Fullenkamp for his excellence in teaching with a significant technology component. He received the 2015 Teaching and Technology Award and $5,000 for his efforts. “It’s great to be nominated for the award, especially since so many other Duke faculty are also developing innovative teaching methods that intensively use technology,” Fullenkamp said. “I think the award makes it clear the university’s vision for the future… read more about Fullenkamp Wins 2015 Teaching and Technology Award »
28 April 2015 3:00PM The powerful earthquake that rocked Nepal on April 25 left death and destruction in its wake. As disaster relief efforts and money trickle into the country, Quartz reports that remittances are likely to spike and will be instrumental in rebuilding Nepal’s economy. Professor Connel Fullenkamp agreed that remittances would increase following the natural disaster; however, he said it is a mistake to assume they will go to long-term projects. Read the full article on Quartz. read more about In the Media: Rebuilding Nepal’s Ravaged Economy »
27 April 2015 1:54PM The Duke Financial Economics Center (DFE) hosted two competitions in April that allowed students to try out the roles of consultants and buy-side equity analysts. In total, 164 sophomores and juniors from 15 majors participated, with 58 selected to present in teams to representatives from the sponsoring firms. Sponsored for the second consecutive year by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the Case Study Competition invited students in teams of three to develop a strategic plan to regain market share and… read more about Students Win $6,000, Free Trips, and Job Interviews from Spring DFE Competitions »
Few graduate students can boast that they are sole authors of a paper in a highly regarded publication; even fewer can say their paper was commissioned based on a blog comment. Alumnus Matthew Rognlie ’10, a current doctoral student in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), can lay claim to both. On March 20 Rognlie presented his research on the rising share of capital income and its role in economic inequality at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. The audience comprised experts in the… read more about Alumnus Matthew Rognlie Makes Waves With Piketty Critique »
20 April 2015 3:51PM Most people agree that contributing to landfills and using gasoline are both bad for environment; however, disagreements may arise when determining the tradeoff: How many bags of trash are equivalent to one gallon of gasoline usage? This type of question is the foundation for Professor Vincent Conitzer’s ongoing research project on “crowdsourcing societal tradeoffs.” Conitzer has been named a 2015 Guggenheim Fellow for his work in computational social choice, and he will receive a $50,000 grant to… read more about Conitzer Awarded $50,000 Guggenheim Fellowship »
09 April 2015 3:46PM Routine occupations once dominated the American labor market and formed the backbone upon which the middle class was built. But technological advances have transformed the modern workplace, and that in turn has changed the way the U.S. economy recovers from recessions. In a paper released this week, Professor Nir Jaimovich and collaborator Henry Siu from the University of British Columbia argue that structural change within the labor market is the reason why the U.S. economy underwent a jobless recovery… read more about New & Noteworthy: Jobless Recoveries and the Disappearance of Routine Jobs »
07 April 2015 4:15PM Monday night’s Duke-Wisconsin game had Blue Devils fans on the edge of their seats, but for Professor Craig Burnside, victory was already a guarantee. The macroeconomics professor won the Duke Economics Marchinal Madness bracket challenge by a landslide — he was the only one who accurately pitted Duke against Wisconsin in the finals — besting 26 departmental faculty, staff, and students. "Finding out I had the winning bracket really brought a smile to my face, and I have to say I did a little crowing… read more about Burnside Wins Duke Econ Bracket Challenge »
30 March 2015 3:17PM North Carolina lawmakers are debating the role incentives play in the state’s economic growth. Though senators last week approved a short-term allocation for incentives, long-term commitments have not yet been made. Furniture retailer Rooms To Go is set to open a distribution center in rural Harnett County later this year, and the company has received incentives from the state based on its projected creation of 240 jobs. But incentives come at a cost. “Increasing the number of jobs is a lever we can… read more about In the Media: Debating the Future of (Some) Incentives »
27 March 2015 10:53AM The 2011 Libyan civil war culminated when Colonel Muammar Qaddafi and his government were finally ousted from power, but what came after the revolution proved to be another challenge. What was it like to help Libya pick up the pieces? This question will be the focus of the Spring 2015 Allen Starling Johnson, Jr. Distinguished Lecturer Series. Ralph Chami is the featured speaker for the Mar. 30 event. As the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) former mission chief to Libya, he experienced… read more about Johnson Lecturer Ralph Chami to Discuss IMF Capacity Development in Libya »
25 March 2015 10:07AM As the academic year nears its end, some graduates likely will move in order to find employment. But where should they go, and why? To best answer these questions, job-seeking students might consider attending an upcoming Duke Economics conference on “Advances and Applications of Spatial Equilibrium in Economics.” The event, which is sponsored by the Economic Research Initiatives at Duke (ERID), will be held on Mar. 27-28 in Gross Hall. Spatial economics theorizes that economic agents — job-seekers and… read more about Duke Econ, ERID to Host Spatial Equilibrium Conference »
23 March 2015 12:02PM The Department of Economics this week is hosting a two-day recruiting event for nearly 30 admitted doctoral program applicants. The campus visit is designed to give prospective students a glimpse of life as an economics Ph.D. candidate at Duke, as well as introduce them to potential faculty mentors. For some of these visitors, making the decision to come to Duke will shape the rest of their careers. Alumnus Peter Landry (Ph.D. ’13) openly admits that he had no idea what he was getting himself into… read more about Alumni Spotlight: Peter Landry »
18 March 2015 10:30AM There exists a “deep divide” in North Carolina — and we’re not talking about Blue Devils versus Tarheels. The state’s urban and rural counties can be seen as “two North Carolinas,” the former thriving and the latter languishing. In an effort to mitigate that gap, North Carolina Senate Republicans are working on legislation that would shift millions in sales and tax revenues from richer counties to poorer areas across the state, according to The News & Observer. Duke Economics Professor Juan Carlos… read more about In the Media: GOP Confronts Rural-Urban Divide »
11 March 2015 1:54PM It’s not uncommon to find “No Fracking” signs staked into front yards in the neighborhoods surrounding Duke University. And with the many negative environmental impacts potentially associated with fracking, it’s easy to see why some Durhamites are concerned. Despite this opposition, North Carolina is preparing to issue permits for shale gas development, and it is expected to occur in the near future. The timing of these operations has presented a unique opportunity to collect baseline information about… read more about Timmins Leads New Study on Shale Gas Development and Air Quality »
17 February 2015 9:42AM Millions of African-Americans left the rural South during the 20th century in search of greater opportunities for work, education and overall quality of life in the urban North, Midwest and West. But the gains many made were clouded by an increased mortality rate, likely the result of unhealthy habits picked up by vices common in the big city, finds a new study led by Duke University. The study found that if an African-American man lived to age 65 the chances that he would make it to age 70 if he… read more about Sanders Finds Link Between Great Migration and Mortality in New Study »
Alumnus Lirong Xia (M.A. ’10, Ph.D. ’11) has been selected to receive the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) early career development award for junior faculty. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program will provide Xia with $525,000 over the next five years for his proposed research on computational social choice. “A direct benefit is that the grant will support a Ph.D. student to work on my proposed research for the next five years,” said Xia, who is an assistant professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute… read more about Alumnus Lirong Xia Wins NSF CAREER Award »
10 February 2015 1:24PM In October 2014 the World Bank predicted that remittances to developing countries would exceed $450 billion this year. While research has shown that remittances can reduce volatility and create a “fiscal cushion” in the countries that receive them, they have done little to promote economic growth. Writing for The Conversation, Professor Connel Fullenkamp says that research has consistently failed to find a strong connection between remittances and economic growth. In fact, there have been studies… read more about In the Media: Don't Expect Remittances to Drive Economic Growth »
06 February 2015 1:11PM Professor Emeritus Henry Grabowski’s new research has been published in the February issue of Health Affairs. “The Roles of Patents and Research and Development Incentives in Biopharmaceutical Innovation” is featured in the intellectual property and innovation section of the health policy journal, which this month delves into the topic of biomedical innovation. Grabowski, who specializes in pharmaceutical health economics, collaborated on the study with Joseph DiMasi of Tufts University and Genia… read more about Grabowski’s Research on Patents and R&D Incentives Published in Health Affairs »
03 February 2015 11:46AM Between the eruptive hormones and heartfelt angst, raising a teenager can be a traumatizing experience for parents. Ask around and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has made it through completely unscathed. So how do parents survive their children’s teenage years? Professor V. Joseph Hotz has an answer: strategic parenting. Hotz, who specializes in the economics of the family, said that raising children is a repeated game. The objective is to maximize total family wellbeing. “I’m interested… read more about Hotz Applies Game Theory to Parenting in Upcoming Study »
21 January 2015 1:03PM Professor Nir Jaimovich and frequent co-author Henry Siu (University of British Columbia) have summarized their joint work on labor markets for the most recent issue of the NBER Reporter. The quarterly publication, which is released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, shares news about the organization and its activities. According to Jaimovich and Siu, labor markets in the United States and other industrialized countries “have experienced marked change due to technological progress and… read more about New & Noteworthy: Jaimovich’s Research Summary Featured in the NBER Reporter »
08 January 2015 9:45AM Each month, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) selects a handful of working papers to feature in its Digest. Professional journalists are assigned to summarize the papers for a non-technical audience. The research being done by Duke Economics Professor Christopher Timmins, Lala Ma (Ph.D. '14) of the University of Kentucky, and Kevin Haninger of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been highlighted in the January issue of the publication. Read the full … read more about New & Noteworthy: Faculty-Student Research in January NBER Digest »
07 January 2015 1:33PM Duke Economics faculty presented their new research at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association (AEA). During the three-day meeting, which took place in Boston on Jan. 3-5, more than 520 scholarly sessions were held. Additionally, Duke Economics Ph.D. job market candidates had interviews scheduled throughout the conference. The following is a list of work presented that have been authored or co-authored by our faculty: Asynchronicity of Moves and Coordination… read more about Faculty Present Research at the AEA Annual Conference »
29 December 2014 2:05PM In 2004, waves up to 60 feet tall surged through the village of Aceh, Indonesia and many others. With billions of dollars and a government bureau earmarked for recovery efforts, life in the Southeast Asian country, according to Professors Elizabeth Frankenberg and Duncan Thomas, "has returned to something that feels normal"; however, "it did not come quickly, easily, or cheaply." Frankenberg and Thomas led an international team of scientists for the Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and Recovery (STAR… read more about In the Media: How Indonesia Bounced Back from a Devastating Tsunami a Decade Later »
22 December 2014 12:52PM The Financial Education Partnership (FEP) wrapped up a successful fall competition season in early December, with 66 sophomores and 115 juniors participating in one or more of the four competitions offered. As in years past, the competitions came in a range of formats — from a quiz show to an online interactive game — and students had the opportunity to employ and expand their knowledge of the financial markets with guidance from the FEP team and feedback from Wall Street professionals. A new… read more about Fall 2014 Season of FEP Competitions Concludes »
16 December 2014 3:35PM When Paul Dudenhefer first joined Duke Press in 1999, he had no idea he would one day celebrate 15 years with the university — but that’s exactly what he did last month. “No one starts out committed to working 15 or 20 or 25 years at a place, so a feeling I certainly had was astonishment,” Dudenhefer said. Dudenhefer can be found in the garden level — what he boldly calls the “basement” — of the Social Sciences Building, where he works as the managing editor of the History of Political… read more about Staff Spotlight: Paul Dudenhefer Celebrates 15 Years at Duke »
15 December 2014 11:26AM The American middle class, once the most prevalent income group in the United States, has been struggling for the last 25 years. The Washington Post's new in-depth series, “Liftoff & Letdown,” examines what went wrong and aspires to shine a light on what the country needs to focus on to get the economy working for everyone again. The latest installment cites Professor Nir Jaimovich’s research on the U.S. labor market and “middle-skill” jobs. Read the full article on The Washington… read more about In the Media: The Devalued American Worker »
09 December 2014 2:08PM Duke University has bested its Ivy League competitors to claim the No. 1 spot in a ranking of best economics colleges for undergraduates in the United States. The list, published on USA Today, is based on College Factual’s ranking system for evaluating overall academic quality. Rounding out the top five are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia. “What’s meaningful about this ranking is that it combines objective information about both the academic environment for studying economics here at Duke and… read more about Duke Beats Out Harvard, Yale as Top College for an Economics Degree »