Professor Kanda Naknoi presented her work (joint with Professor Kai Zhao and with Kunze Li, UConn Economics PhD 2025) at the Macro-International Seminar at George Washington University on April 22, 2026: “Intergenerational Correlation in Returns, Wealth Inequality and the Estate Tax“
PhD
Econ PhD Alumnus Publishes Statistical Design and Inference for the Social Sciences
Donald Vandegrift, a 1993 PhD graduate of the UConn Department of Economics, recently published Statistical Design and Inference for the Social Sciences
Donald Vandegrift’s Statistical Design and Inference for the Social Sciences equips students with the skills to think critically about data—not just calculate it. Rather than focusing on rote computation, this text emphasizes how to build strong, evidence-based arguments using real-world data and thoughtful comparisons. Students learn to align their research questions with appropriate measures, designs, and statistical tools—developing the judgment needed to evaluate public policies, assess social science research, and make informed decisions. With a strong foundation in causal reasoning and a practical approach to software use, the book helps students move beyond formulas to understand the logic behind statistical choices.
PhD Candidate Matthew Brown Presents at the ASSA 2026 Conference
Matthew Brown, PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Connecticut, presented “Teaching Economics Majors Principles of Writing and Data Visualization” at the 2026 Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) Annual Meeting, coauthored with Oskar Harmon.
The presentation examined the integration of Tableau-based data visualization into a required undergraduate economics writing course. Using pre- and post-course survey data, the study finds improvements in student course satisfaction and writing confidence after students learned to produce their own data visualizations. The results highlight the potential for combining data literacy and writing instruction to enhance student engagement and communication skills in economics coursework.
PhD Candidate Edlira Cocoli Presents at the Southern Economic Association Meeting
Edlira Cocoli (PhD candidate) presented “Economic Shock and State Support for Higher Education: Evidence from the Northeastern U.S. Using Shift Share Identification” at the Annual Conference of the Southern Economic Association in November.
She constructs a measure of Fiscal Stress and estimates the differential impacts of recent economic shocks on university finances. A sample of Northeast public flagship universities are evaluated for fiscal stress risk, and policy recommendations made to reduce risk exposure.
Graduate Assistant (GA) Training Workshop – Fall 2025
The Department of Economics held its Fall 2025 Graduate Assistant (GA) Training Workshop on Monday, October 13. Offered each semester, the workshop brings together faculty and GAs to share practical guidance on effective teaching, classroom management, and student engagement.
This semester’s session featured presentations by Professor Chihwa Kao, Professor Jackie Kai Zhao, and Professor Tianxu Chen, who leads the GA training program and teaches Econ 6492: Teaching Economics. Professor Kao shared insights from his extensive teaching experience on creating engaging classroom environments and encouraging active student participation. Professor Zhao discussed strategies for fostering meaningful learning through constructive feedback and helping students reflect on their progress. Professor Chen highlighted approaches for promoting active learning and building supportive classroom communities, drawing on her experience teaching large undergraduate courses.
The workshop also provided GAs with an opportunity to exchange experiences and reflect on ways to enhance their teaching effectiveness. It continues to serve as an important platform for developing pedagogical skills, building community among graduate instructors, and reinforcing the department’s commitment to high-quality undergraduate teaching.
Spring 2025 GA Training Workshop: Supporting Graduate Instructors at Every Stage
On Monday, March 31st, 2025, the Economics Department held this semester’s Graduate Assistant (GA) Training Workshop, led by Professor Tianxu Chen, with Professor Ling Huang and Professor Kai Zhao also joining the discussion. The session provided a valuable opportunity for GAs to ask questions and receive guidance on a range of teaching-related topics, including student engagement, effective instruction strategies, and classroom management.
This semester’s workshop was structured as an open office hour, allowing all GAs—whether new or experienced—to bring up challenges they have encountered in their teaching roles. Professors Chen, Huang, and Zhao shared their insights and advice, helping students navigate common concerns such as fostering student participation, balancing grading responsibilities, and communicating effectively with undergraduate students.
This GA training workshop continues to play a crucial role in strengthening the quality of Economics education at UConn, while also reinforcing the Department’s commitment to supporting GAs in their teaching and career development.
Fall 2024 GA Training Workshop: Faculty Insights
Last Thursday, October 17, 2024, the Department of Economics held its regular semester GA Training Workshop, aimed at preparing new Graduate Assistants for their teaching responsibilities. Three faculty members—Professors Talia Bar, Professor Kai Zhao, and Professor Tianxu Chen—shared valuable advice drawn from their teaching experience.
Professor Bar emphasized the importance of adapting to students’ varying levels of mathematical proficiency, using active learning strategies to keep students engaged, and proactively addressing potential classroom challenges.
Professor Zhao reflected on his early teaching experiences, offering advice on understanding student backgrounds, using relatable examples, and ensuring clear communication to avoid confusion.
Professor Chen concluded the session by focusing on classroom management, encouraging a positive learning environment, and balancing teaching duties with academic responsibilities. Her practical tips provided GAs with useful strategies for success.
This workshop remains a cornerstone of the department’s efforts to support GAs, offering them essential tools and insights to excel in both teaching and their academic progress each semester.
Recent PhD Graduates Publish on Wealth Inequality
Recent UConn graduates Aaron Cooke (2018 PhD, U.S. Department of the Treasury) and Umesh Ghimire (2021 PhD, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania) have had their paper accepted for publication in Macroeconomic Dynamics.
The paper examines the impact of life-cycle savings, intergenerational transfers, and fertility differences between the rich and the poor on the wealth distribution in the United States
This paper is a joint work with Dr. Hyun Lee (former UConn faculty) and Professor Kai Zhao. The key message of the paper is that the fertility differences between the rich and the poor significantly amplify the role of bequests in shaping the U.S. wealth inequality.
You can find the paper here
Spotlight on Alumni: Huskies in Sewanee
This past spring, Prof. Delia Furtado gave the Georgescu-Rogen Lecture at Sewanee: The University of the South while visiting with UConn PhDs, Huarui Jing and Tao Song.
Sewanee is among the nation’s top national liberal arts colleges and is consistently ranked as one of the top five in the South. While Professor Furtado enjoyed walking around the beautiful campus, often spotting students and faculty in their academic gowns, her favorite part of the trip was catching up with former UConn students.
Huari’s research interests are in asset pricing, financial econometrics, macro finance, and machine learning. At Sewanee, she teaches the courses, Investment Finance, Derivatives and Fixed Income Securities, Financial Modeling, and Financial Engineering.
Tao’s research interests are in labor and urban economics with a particular focus on immigration. He has taught Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Econometrics as well as the field courses Labor Economics, Urban Economics, and the Economics of Immigration. This month, he was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor. Congratulations, Tao!
Current UConn PhD students, do reach out to Huari and Tao for advice on building a successful academic career at a liberal arts college.
Former UConn PhD students, we would love to know where you are and what you’re up to! Contact Lisa Bono at lisa.bono@uconn.edu.
PhD Students Present Research on Gender and Race at Workshop
Two graduate students in the UConn Department of Economics presented their research at the New England Experimentalist Workshop last week.
Anastassiya Karaban presented her paper, “The role of gender comparisons in determining reference wage and labor supply.” She finds that when people make different wages, we choose to compare our wage to others of the same gender. Women work harder when making more than other women (but not when making more than other men). Men work less hard if they are making less than another man (but not if they are making less than a woman).
Victor Volkman presented his paper, “Race and experimental design: How respondents may read context into a neutrally framed scenario.” Traditionally, economics experiments have participants engage in “context free” simulated economic transactions. Victor examines whether such absence of context can affect individuals differently based on their racial backgrounds. He finds evidence that different racial groups interpret context-free scenarios differently, and thus their actions are not directly comparable.
The presentations offered the students both broader exposure for their research and a chance to receive valuable feedback from researchers at other universities.