Economics Department
Unemployment benefits aimed at helping people during the pandemic expire Sept. 6, which could lead to a surge in job seekers as $300 per week supplemental unemployment payments end. Connel Fullenkamp, a professor of the practice of economics at Duke, says there’s good reason to believe this scenario. “Economists have estimated that nearly half of those unemployed during the pandemic recession earned a higher effective wage from their unemployment benefits than they did on the job,” says Fullenkamp, who is also director of… read more about Pandemic Unemployment Benefits End Sept. 6. It's Not Simple as to What This Will Do to the Labor Market »
Duke Economics is delighted to welcome former postdoc Bocar Ba back to the department as an assistant professor. The French economist spent the 2018–2019 academic year at Duke after completing his Ph.D. in public policy at the University of Chicago. After another postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania’s Quattrone Center, he spent a year as a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine. Ba’s research is focused on the economics of crime and labor. He has always been interested in learning more… read more about Bocar Ba Rejoins Duke Faculty, Continues Research on Economics of Crime and Labor »
Duke Economics is excited to introduce Quitzé Valenzuela-Stookey as a postdoctoral associate for the 2021–2022 academic year. Born in Nicaragua, Valenzuela-Stookey spent his early life in Massachusetts. As an undergraduate at Columbia University, he began to show an interest in economics and was originally interested in working at a multinational institution like the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. But a research assistantship with Columbia professor Joseph Stiglitz solidified his interest in economic theory. “… read more about Quitzé Valenzuela-Stookey Begins Postdoc Looking for Collaboration and New Ideas »
Duke Economics is pleased to welcome Pengpeng Xiao to the department as an assistant research professor of Economics. Her hiring adds to Duke’s strong roster of experts on the gender dynamics of the labor market. Originally from Shenzhen, China, Xiao only began to study economics late in her academic career. After completing her undergraduate degree at Vassar College, she worked as a research assistant at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. There, she attended economics seminars about kidney exchange… read more about Labor Economist Pengpeng Xiao Joins Duke Faculty »
With Duke Engineering students facilitating cryptocurrency transactions for class and DEMAN Live partnering with the Innovation Co-Lab to explore NFTs, it feels like blockchain is suddenly everywhere at Duke. But that wasn’t the case back when Manmit Singh ’22, now president of the Duke Blockchain Lab, was a first-year student. “I thought blockchain was some kind of video game,” Singh said wryly. While most people know of blockchain through Bitcoin and other digital currencies, it’s so much more than that. A blockchain is… read more about These Days, Blockchain is Everywhere at Duke »
Emily Cuddy, who will be joining Duke Econ faculty in 2022, was awarded the "Student Paper Award" by ASHEcon for her paper titled "Competition and Collusion in the Generic Drug Market. read more about Incoming Faculty Member Emily Cuddy Named One of 2021 ASHEcon Award Winners »
When he was an undergraduate political science student, Kerry Haynie was never taught about the 1921 Tulsa massacre. Nor was there much discussion about the role of race in the founding political documents of this country or much examination of how race influenced public services such as sewer lines and zoning. In one sense, a lot has changed. In 2021, Duke’s faculty includes a strong lineup of leading scholars who examine how race is embedded in issues that cross all the schools of the university. This fall, many of… read more about University Course Raises Race as a Central Element of Undergraduate Education »
Professor Connel Fullenkamp weighs in on inflation (is it really back?) in a new op-ed for Newsweek. read more about Yes, Inflation Is Really Back »
Duke Economics graduates were treated to a surprise guest speaker when they logged on to watch the departmental commencement video on Sunday, May 2nd. Fred Ehrsam (T ’10) partnered with the department to wish the recent graduates well on their special day. Erhsam graduated from Duke in 2010 with honors and departmental distinctions in both Economics and Computer Science. After working as a trader at Goldman Sachs, Erhsam co-founded Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange platform in the U.S., and served as its… read more about Duke Econ Alum Fred Ehrsam (T' 10) Addresses 2021 Graduates »
Two Duke faculty members have been elected as members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors in the profession. Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, the James B. Duke Professor and Chair of theDepartment of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in the Duke University School of Medicine, and Rachel Kranton, PhD, the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Economics and Dean of Social Sciences in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, join 37 other Duke faculty members previously elected to… read more about Two Duke Faculty Elected to National Academy of Sciences »
Six members of the Class of 2022 have been named to the inaugural class of Nakayama Scholars. Juniors Sydney Albert, Carlee Goldberg, Erica Langan, Yi Xian “Lyndon” Lee, Ahn-Huy Nguyen, and Micalyn Struble were chosen for their stellar academics, leadership and demonstrated commitment to a career in public service. The Nakayama Public Service Scholarship is part of the university’s efforts to encourage students to use their Duke experience to engage with the large challenges facing communities around the world. The… read more about Six Students Named Inaugural Nakayama Public Service Scholars »
