Economics Department
What cancelled summer plans—and new ones—say about the Duke student body. One was supposed to be saying goodbye to her childhood home on the other side of the Atlantic. Another was meant to be working with refugees in Ireland. Two more had plans for research projects in Africa. None of it happened. With international travel grounded thanks to COVID-19, all of the plans that Duke students carefully laid for the summer came apart at the seams. But Duke’s inherently global nature remains—evident in its diverse student body… read more about Purpose from Disruption »
Assistant professor Matthew Masten has been awarded a CAREER Award by the National Science Foundation. NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program “supports the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization.” This prestigious award is specifically given to junior faculty, and provides recipients with a federal grant for research and education activities for five years. Masten, part of… read more about Professor Matthew Masten Wins National Science Foundation CAREER Award »
Economics major Elena Cavallero (T’21) has been awarded funding by the Energy Initiative Internship Program for a remote summer internship at Prime Impact Fund. More than two dozen students were funded through the program, which is supported by gifts from Duke alumni. read more about Twenty-Four Duke Students Funded as Energy Sector Interns »
Travis Knoll expected to be in Brazil this summer. A Ph.D. student in History, he planned to visit film and Catholic Church archives to further his work on the relationship between Catholic thought, modern Black movements and education policy. But COVID-19 intervened. Recognizing that many students’ plans for teaching, research trips and in-person internships were overturned, Provost Sally Kornbluth and Executive Vice Provost Jennifer Francis pledged that Duke would provide employment opportunities for Ph.D. students who… read more about Changing Their Summer Plans, Duke Ph.D. Students Find New Options for Virtual Employment »
Professor William "Sandy" Darity Jr. is listed as one of the top Black economists working to fix systemic racism in their work. Undergraduate alum Peter Q. Blair is also named in the list. read more about 19 Black Economists to Celebrate and Know, this Juneteenth and Beyond »
Professor Patrick Bayer's work on the racial wage gap was recently featured in the New York Times. His study shows that the gap has not decreased throughout the past decades. read more about The Enormous Black-White Wage Gap »
Using research from Patrick Bayer, Gilhuly Family Distinguished Professor in Economics, David Leonhardt argues that there has been little progress in closing the Black-white wage gap. Read the article at the New York Times. read more about The Black-White Wage Gap Is as Big as It Was in 1950 »
Professor and director of our Center for the History of Political Economy Bruce Caldwell was recently announced as this year's Distinguished Fellow Award by the History of Economics Society. read more about HOPE Center Director Named 2020 Distinguished Fellow of the History of Economics Society »
By the time Summer Session I started on May 13, Duke’s educators had already been at work for weeks. Before a class can be taught, it must be planned. There are readings to select, assignments to create, questions to prepare, schedules to set. And this year, there was an additional challenge: the professors, instructors and Ph.D. students tasked with teaching undergraduates had to adapt their classes for a completely remote term, thanks to the impacts of COVID-19. There was also more demand than ever. With stay-at-home… read more about 3 Summer Courses Show What Goes Into Planning a Duke Class »
In a lunch-hour conversation on Friday, June 5, the Kenan Institute for Ethics’ signature series, The Ethics of Now from Home broke from its weekly webinar schedule to quickly respond to George Floyd’s murder, racism, police violence, and public demonstrations happening all across the nation. In the conversation, “Racism, Police Violence, and Protests,” series host Adriane Lentz-Smith (Associate Professor of History), was joined by William A. “Sandy” Darity Jr. (Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public… read more about Racism, Police Violence, and Protests »
MA '07 alum Karl Boulware is quoted in an article about the wage gap in the United States and how Black Americans are disproportionately affected. read more about The Only Way to Truly Solve the Race Problem in America is to Narrow the Wealth Gap, Black Economists Say »
In a pandemic world, everything looks a little different. As of June 1, James Roberts is the new Duke econ chair. I spoke to him by phone while he was making lunch for his kids. “Like everyone else these days I'm just trying to do it all. I just realized that the bagel I told my daughter she could have for lunch doesn't exist,” he laughed. Even though working from home is the new normal, Roberts is still excited to take on the challenges that come with being department chair. A Chicago native who moved to Charlotte, North… read more about For New Econ Chair, Challenges are Why He Took the Job »
Duke University and Duke Economics are aware of the US Government actions regarding students from China, particularly regarding visas for students who have studied, researched or were employed at universities in China that support the country’s “military-civil fusion strategy (MCF),” or who are studying in certain STEM fields. We understand that, in any case, travel restrictions in both China and the US will continue to pose problems for students this fall, including the announcement that the US Government is banning… read more about Update on International Travel and Visa Issues »
May 31 marks the end of Craig Burnside’s tenure as chair of Duke Economics. It’s been a long road, with lots of twists and turns, and he hands the reins over to James Roberts. But what do Craig’s colleagues have to say about his time as chair? Let’s find out. Allan Collard-Wexler-Faculty Craig took over after Pat Bayer and Tom Nechyba had overseen a huge expansion of the department over the previous decade. Thus he was in charge in keeping this enormous department, over 46 tenure-track faculty, together… read more about A Chair Remembered »
Economics graduate Axel Hererra Ramos was hoping his family would get to travel from Honduras to see him graduate. As a first generation college student and Dreamer, the cancellation of graduation ceremonies was especially disappointing. Ramos, an advocarte for undocumented immigrant communities was able to tell his story via virtual commencement. read more about For this Duke Graduate and Dreamer, His Immigration Status Does Not Define Him »
Professor Connel Fullenkamp appears on WRAL to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on the class of 2020 job prospects. read more about Class of 2020: What are Their Job Prospects? »
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 Grantland Karla FC Holloway Award for University Service: Beza Gebremariam Mary McLeod Bethune Writing Award: Jenna Clayborn Walter C. Burford Award for Community Service: Kayla Lynn Corredera-Wells Art, Art History & Visual Studies Mary Duke… 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 1963, studying under the tutelage of… 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 currently calls Durham,… 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 »