Economics Department
Professor Vincent Conitzer has accepted a leadership role in a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture with the University at Oxford, the institution announced in a press release on Feb. 16. The Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford aims to tackle major ethical challenges posed by AI, from facial recognition to voter profiling, brain machine interfaces to weaponized drones, and the ongoing discourse about how AI will impact employment on a global scale. Conitzer is joining the organization as the institute’s Head of… read more about Duke Faculty Member to Partner With New AI Institute at Oxford »
Last fall, Duke alumni Alex Sanchez Bressler ’18 and Daniela Saucedo ‘18, along with Saucedo’s mother, Ana Brewton, started a fused glass business. The trio now melts glass at a sweltering 1480 degrees Fahrenheit in the Sonoran Desert. Their kiln—a one-ton oven consuming a quarter of the garage—completes one firing over the course of fifteen hours. This was not something they planned to do together. La Colombe Contemporary Glasswork was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic within the confines of Brewton’s house in… read more about All in the Family: La Colombe Contemporary Glasswork »
Connell Fullenkamp, a professor of the practice of Economics, made a video for Great Courses Daily explaining what happened to cause the Gamestop stock price to rise by 2,000 percent. read more about Professor for The Great Courses Explains GameStop Stock Surge »
Still scratching your head over what happened with Gamestop stock? Professor Connel Fullenkamp breaks it down. read more about Professor for The Great Courses Explains GameStop Stock Surge »
This month, we present a collection of 10 Duke-authored books detailing the history of Black life in America. While this is not a comprehensive list of all Duke scholarship on Black history, it is intended to be an introduction to the multifaceted work of Duke scholars in public policy, history, documentary studies, religious studies, African and African-American studies, cultural anthropology, sociology, art, art history, and visual studies. These books, along with many others, are available at Duke… read more about 10 Duke-Authored Books on Black History »
In a new working paper, professor Chris Timmins and co-authors find that putting a pause on evictions and utility shut-offs during the pandemic reduces infection rates. read more about Moratoria on Utility Shutoffs and Evictions Reduced COVID-19 Infection Rates, Duke Analysis Finds »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Policies that helped financially struggling Americans stay in their homes and keep access to water and electricity during the COVID-19 pandemic also helped reduce the spread of the virus, according to a new analysis by Duke University researchers. Eviction moratoria and relief from utility disconnections reduced COVID-19 cases by 8.2 percent from the onset of the pandemic through the end of November 2020, the authors found. The findings were published Monday as a National Bureau of Economic Research working… read more about Eviction, Utility Moratoria Helped Slow Spread of COVID »
As educational institutions seek ways to enhance opportunities for students during the pandemic, the College Board has tapped five Duke University professors to provide recorded lectures to millions of advanced high school students around the world. The new lecture series, called “AP Daily,” offers free, online videos across a variety of college-level topics to students who are learning in person, remotely or in blended learning environments. Students can view the videos independently or Advanced Placement (AP)… read more about In Pandemic, Advanced Placement Turns to Duke Faculty for Help in High School Lecture Series »
Professor Bruce Caldwell sat down to record a podcast with AEA's Tyler Smith. They talked about Caldwell's expertise with Hayek's messaging, and what people get wrong about it. read more about Rereading the The Road to Serfdom »
It's everyone's favorite time of year, the annual ASSA meeting. Like many other events in this tumultuous year, the conference has been adapted to fit an online format. This format allowed a large number of Duke faculty and graduate students to participate in the meeting, whether that be as a presenter, facilitator, or moderator. And, of course, our job market candidates will be interviewing for positions for after graduation. See below for a complete list of Duke-affiliated sessions. Origins of… read more about Duke Faculty and Students Attend and Present at Annual ASSA Conference--Online »
Timur Kuran, professor of Economics and Political Science, joined the podcast Hidden Brain to discuss the way "our personal, professional and political lives are shaped by the fear of what other people think." Listen at the Hidden Brain website or your favorite podcast app. read more about A Conspiracy of Silence »
Professor William "Sandy" Darity, Jr. has been selected for the T.W. Schultz Memorial Lecture and award by the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. read more about AAEA Awards William "Sandy" Darity, Jr. the T.W. Schultz Award at ASSA '21 »
Professor Dan Ariely joined a panel of Duke experts to talk about vaccine hesitancy. How do behavioral economics come into play? read more about To Convince Vaccine Skeptics, Use Empathy, Information and a Re-Start, Experts Say »
DURHAM, N.C. – With multiple COVID-19 vaccines on the way in the United States, public health officials now face the daunting challenge of convincing skeptics to actually get the vaccine. Three Duke experts in public health messaging, leadership and human behavior spoke with journalists Thursday in a virtual media briefing about challenges and solutions. Replay the briefing on YouTube. Here are excerpts: ON REACHING PEOPLE WHO DON’T FOLLOW PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS Dan Ariely,… read more about To Convince Vaccine Skeptics, Use Empathy, Information and a Re-Start, Experts Say »
For some M.S. Economics & Computation (MSEC) students, their first semester in the program looked much different than they expected. Because of travel and visa restrictions, several students completed their first semester of the program from China. Zixuan Zheng was one of these students. However, last week he was finally able to meet several of his fellow classmates--Zhichao Wang, Xiaoxi Lyu, and Kaichao Chang--in person, and share the struggles and triumphs of the unusual semester. “To be honest, we struggled this… read more about Despite 2020 Challenges, MSEC Students Persevere »
William A. Darity (Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Economics and African and African American Studies), Malachi Hacohen (Professor of History) and Adam Hollowell (Adjunct Instructor of Education) co-wrote an article for Inside Higher Ed about Duke's new inequality studies minor, arguing that students, professors and administrators need a deeper understanding of how human disparities have developed, why they persist and how they evolve over time. read more about The Importance of Inequality Studies »
Listen to professor Timur Kuran discuss preference falsification with the Hidden Brain podcast. What are the impacts? What are the consequences? read more about A Conspiracy of Silence »
Current PhD candidate Leonardo Chaves conducted an interview with PhD alum Kivanç Kirgiz '01 as part of Duke University Graduate School's "Alumni Profiles" series. Kirgiz talks with Chaves about what lessons he took from Duke Econ and how he continues to apply them today. read more about Alumni Profiles Series: Kivanç Kirgiz »
Professor Patrick Bayer's research regarding the Black-white wage gap is cited in an article about how President-elect Joe Biden can bridge the divide between many walks of life. read more about Biden Can Have an American Presidency by Focusing on 'Outsiders' »
When COVID hit last spring, many graduate students had to give up their summer plans for teaching, field research and internships. The Provost’s Office quickly pledged support, and Vice Provost Ed Balleisen spearheaded the effort to identify virtual opportunities. Experiential fellowships with eight host organizations and research assistantships with more than 20 Duke units provided summer funding and career development for all 59 Ph.D. students in need. Every student who responded to Duke’s end-of-summer evaluation would… read more about Duke Ph.D. Students Find Unexpected Benefits in an Unusual Summer »
Professors Peter Arcidacono and V. Joseph Hotz have been elected as Fellows of the International Association for Applied Econometrics (IAAE). The IAAE is the leading academic association for enhancing and supporting research in applied econometrics, comprised of top scholars in the field. It’s mission is “…to advance the education of the public in the subject of econometrics and its applications to a variety of fields in economics, in particular, but not exclusively, by advancing and supporting research in that field, and… read more about Professors Peter Arcidiacono and V. Joseph Hotz Named International Association for Applied Econometrics Fellows »
Sandy Darity, Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, African & African American Studies and Economics, explains his research on reparations in this article at GQ. read more about How Much Is Owed to Afro-descendants in the Americas? »
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has devastated many sectors of the US economy. Businesses have failed and many Americans are struggling to feed their families and pay the rent. But there are glimmers of hope, perhaps including a much-discussed, though still uncertain second federal stimulus package under consideration in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, three Duke experts discussed the myriad ways American families and businesses are being impacted by the pandemic, as well as ways they can be helped. Watch the briefing on… read more about Stimulus One of Few Options to Help Households, Businesses Survive, Experts Say »
New research by professor Connel Fullenkamp and co-authors examines how African elephants fight climate change, and what that is worth. Read More read more about The Secret Work of Elephants »
Professor Genna Miller and her Fall 2019 Women in the Economy Class put together an exhibit on women's sufferage to celebrate the anniversary of women's right to vote in 2020. read more about Beyond Supply & Demand: Duke Economics Students Present 100 Years of American Women’s Suffrage »
Duke Economics is pleased to welcome Jason Baron to the department. Baron is currently Scholar in Residence while completing a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy. He will start as an Assistant Professor in the 2021-2022 school year. Baron grew up in a small town in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. He moved to the United States with his family when he was fifteen years old. “My parents wanted to move to the United States to pursue a better future for our family. We had… read more about Duke Economics Welcomes Jason Baron »
The signs of change were all around: Students walking around campus wearing face masks, talking to new friends in distanced circles. Socializing tents scattered around campus. Seminars in large rooms with seats spaced out. But the first day of classes also had much that was familiar. Students strolled along pathways with coffee and food-for-later in hand. Groundskeepers zipped past on riding mowers while joggers circled the East Campus loop, albeit giving each other plenty of room. Most importantly, there was… read more about The First Day of Classes Start With Masks, Distancing and Vigorous Classrooms »
This fall semester, Duke Kunshan University lecturer Ashton Merck will be communicating with her students more than usual. She plans to check in with her students early and often through WeChat messages, email, and virtual office hours. Merck hopes that by staying in contact, students will feel more connected to the course and to each other, no matter where they are in the world. “I think that especially in this stressful time, instructors have a responsibility to open up lines of communication that… read more about How Duke Faculty Prepared for the Fall Semester »
Duke Economics is excited to welcome new assistant professor Laura Castillo-Martinez to the department. Castillo-Martinez is originally from Murcia, Spain. Growing up, her parents' jobs took them around Europe, so Castillo-Martinez knew they would support her looking for school and work opportunities internationally. She completed her Ph.D. at the London School of Economics, where she discovered her love of teaching. “At LSE you have a teaching load every year,” Castillo-Martinez said, “At first it was very demanding for me… read more about Duke Economics Welcomes Laura Castillo-Martinez as Assistant Professor »