Faculty

MSQE Panel Highlights AI Careers for Students

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On April 6, the Economics Department’s Master of Science in Quantitative Economics (MSQE) program hosted a panel for current and prospective students interested in careers in the AI industry. The event offered students an opportunity to learn more about the program and the kinds of professional paths it can open.

Panelists emphasized that the MSQE program provides rigorous training in quantitative skills such as Python, data analysis, and econometrics. Just as important, however, is the program’s grounding in economic theory and its application to real-world problems. The speakers noted that one of the most valuable skills students develop is the ability to frame a problem clearly and design thoughtful solutions.

The panel also highlighted that technical expertise alone is not enough. What often distinguishes strong candidates is the ability to tell a clear story about the data or model and to communicate insights effectively to different audiences. In today’s workplace, being able to translate technical analysis into practical understanding is a major advantage.

The panelists were optimistic about AI and its impact on their work. They described AI as a tool that increases productivity and helps them take on problems outside their immediate technical expertise. By combining strong problem framing with AI-assisted tools, professionals can develop solutions more quickly and more creatively.

When discussing what sets job candidates apart, the panelists pointed to several qualities: a sophisticated understanding of technical tools, grit in tackling challenging problems, friendliness, and humility. Together, these traits help candidates stand out in a competitive and fast-changing field.

Panelists

  • Christopher J. Daigle, Associate Vice President (AVP) of AI & Automation Engineering at Arch Capital, MSQE 2018
  • Sean Ippolito, Senior Data Scientist for Identity & Fraud Services, Equifax
  • Neal Coleman, PhD, Data Scientist and Director of Emerging Sciences, The Hartford
  • Moderator: Oskar Harmon, Associate Professor of Economics

If you missed this panel, there will be more opportunities in the future. We look forward to hosting additional panels that connect students with professionals working at the forefront of AI and quantitative economics.

Trumbull High School Students Visit Stamford

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Students enrolled in the Early College Experience (ECE) Economics courses at Trumbull High School visited the Stamford campus on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Forty-five students and three ECE Economics instructors arrived in the early morning hours to take part in the extensive “Day at UConn Stamford” event. Many of those students are accepted to the University of Connecticut and plan to enroll in the Fall.

Trumbull High School students and their ECE Economics teachers at Stamford, March 26, 2026
Trumbull High School students and their ECE Economics teachers at Stamford, March 26, 2026

Stamford Campus Dean, Dr. Jennifer E. Orlikoff, welcomed the group and set them up for an activity-packed day, which included the campus tour, career panel discussion, and attendance of an Economics class.

Career panelists, from left to right, Liz Maia (’26), Kothan Nieves-Orama (’27), and Alexys Willaims (’27) answering questions from the audience.
Career panelists, from left to right, Liz Maia (’26), Kothan Nieves-Orama (’27), and Alexys Willaims (’27) answering questions from the audience.

Career panel was moderated by Tara Malone, Director of the Center for Career Development at Stamford. Three Economics majors shared their experience of obtaining internships and jobs with the help of Career Fairs and Career Center events and services. The students, Liz Maia (’26), Kothan Nieves-Orama (’27), and Alexys Williams (’27), talked about the applicability of the Economics major to the broad job market. They answered high school students’ questions about the strategies to be employed at the undergraduate level to secure a job upon graduation. “It is not too early to engage in your career exploration and utilize many resources available on campus to aid you in this endeavor” was the overall message.

Students attended Dr. Knoblauch’s “Industrial Organization” class and Dr. Smirnova’s “Principles of Macroeconomics” class. Both classes were engaging and interactive. Trumbull students were able to join forces with UConn students on various tasks and learn not only the economics material, but also teamwork and communication skills. These competencies are at the heart of Economics students’ preparation for successful careers. Trumbull school Economics instructors, Mr. Brian Sprinsteen, Mr. Martin McGrath, and Mr. Gregg Basbagill, commented that UConn students were leading the collaborative work during the exercises and were enthusiastically mentoring high schoolers.

Events like this support the outreach mission of the University and promote cooperative spirit between UConn and the local community.

Trumbull High School students working collaboratively with Dr. Smirnova’s students during ECON 1202 Principles of Macroeconomics class on March 26, 2026.
Trumbull High School students working collaboratively with Dr. Smirnova’s students during ECON 1202 Principles of Macroeconomics class on March 26, 2026

 

Professor Smirnova Accepted to the Fulbright Specialist Program

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Professor Natalia Smirnova is accepted to the Fulbright Specialist Program, which was established in 2001 as part of the larger Fulbright Program.

A program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Specialist Program is a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week collaborative projects at institutions across the globe. By participating in the program, U.S. academics and professionals share their expertise, strengthen their home institutions by partnering with overseas counterparts, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their foreign institutions.

Dr. Smirnova plans to engage educational institutions around the world in building a more informed citizenry and a better prepared labor force. She is excited to offer a variety of training activities, such as a series of seminars, master classes, and professional development workshops focused on economic education, financial literacy, and career readiness. At this stage, she is looking for an international partner to deliver proposed projects.

Dr. Smirnova will remain on the Fulbright Specialist roster until 2029.

Recent Publications by Professor Baggio and Professor Coşgel

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Professor Michele Baggio has a paper published in Economics Letters:

Baggio M., Suryanarayana R., and S. Uchida. 2026. Heat and Hate: How Temperature Triggers Discriminatory Violence. Economics Letters. Vol. 261: article 112861.

And Professor Baggio and Professor Metin Coşgel have a paper forthcoming in Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization:

Baggio M. and M. Coşgel. 2026. Racial Diversity and Team Performance: Evidence from the American Offshore Whaling Industry. Forthcoming in Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization. 

New York Fed Official and UConn Aluma Visits Stamford

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Ms. Heather Daly, Head of Economic Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and UConn alumna, visited the Stamford campus on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to meet Economics students.

Heather’s career includes 30 years of experience in for-profit, nonprofit, and public service organizations. Prior to joining the New York Fed in 2015, Heather was the Senior Director of Executive MBA Admissions at New York University Stern School of Business. Before transitioning into education, she led Network Solutions Group Strategy & Planning at Lucent Technologies (now Nokia Bell Labs). She has also taught micro- and macroeconomics as an adjunct professor for the Bard Prison Initiative, working with students at NYS Eastern Correctional Facility.

Heather Daly, Head of Economic Education, Community Development & Education, Communications and Outreach Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Heather Daly, Head of Economic Education, Community Development & Education,
Communications and Outreach Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Heather earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Connecticut, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University.

At Stamford on February 17, 2026, Ms. Daly presented a talk “Introduction to the Federal Reserve System”, where she took an in-depth look into the history of U.S. Central Banks and the Federal Reserve System. The discussion with students focused on the structure and functions of the Federal Reserve System, and current intricacies of Federal Reserve Board and Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).

The second focus of Ms. Daly’s presentation was on students’ career preparation. Heather outlined skills and competencies that are needed at the Fed and explained the timeline for opportunities for internships and programs open for various levels of academic preparation.

This unique event, where several Economics classes came together, was conceived and organized by the Economics Research and Policy Council (a.k.a. The Economics Club) in Stamford with support from the Economics Department, its faculty Dr. Couch, and faculty Club Adviser, Dr. Smirnova.

We are grateful to Ms. Daly for coming to campus, sharing her knowledge and expertise, her career “learning journey”, and UConn alumna’s wisdom with Economics students at Stamford.

Professor Oskar Harmon Recognized Among Top Citation Leaders in Economics Education

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Professor Oskar Harmon has been recognized as among the top five most active and cited researchers publishing in the field of economics education. The ranking appears in the article “Identifying the Rising Stars of Economics Education,” published in The American Economist (2026) by Wayne Geerling, G. Dirk Mateer, and Jadrian Wooten.

The citation-based analysis examined papers published in academic journals endorsed by the American Economic Association’s Committee on Economic Education, with at least ten citations, focusing on topics related to teaching, pedagogy, and instructional practice. To measure recent scholarly impact, the study used citation counts from the five-year period 2020–2024.

Professor Harmon ranked 5th by total economics pedagogy citation count (724 citations) and 1st by citations per article (103).

The article may be accessed at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399996795_Identifying_the_Rising_Stars_of_Economics_Education

Professor Delia Furtado Awarded Russell Sage Foundation Grant

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Russell Sage Foundation logoAlong with collaborators at Syracuse University, Johns Hopkins University, UC Merced, and Georgetown University, Professor Delia Furtado has been awarded a research grant from the Russell Sage Foundation.

The project, “Immigrant Labor, Staffing Shortages, and Job Quality in the Long-Term Care Sector,” examines how the availability of immigrant labor influences staffing shortages and working conditions in nursing homes—an issue of growing importance as the U.S. population ages.

Founded in 1907, the Russell Sage Foundation is a leading social science research foundation dedicated to strengthening research methods, data, and theory to better diagnose social problems and inform public policy.

PhD Candidate Matthew Brown Presents at the ASSA 2026 Conference

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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.

Matthew Brown PhD candidate in Economics presenting his work at the 2026 Allied Social Science Associations Annual MeetingThe 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.

Braving the Cold, UConn Economists Run the Econ 5K

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Participants in the Econ 5K 2025Neither final exams nor frigid temperatures stopped faculty and PhD students from running the Econ5K together this past Saturday. Proof that economists don’t only run regressions! The winners will be announced online in early January during the ASSA meetings. We wish our athletes luck! Go Huskies!

The categories for winners:

– Top three finishers (by gender identity)
– Top three finishers age-adjusted (by gender identity)
– Top finisher by continent (by gender identity)
– Greatest elevation change (+/-)
– Highest starting elevation
– Highest/lowest temperature
– The Beauty contest winner for whoever is closest to the average time
– Top three empiricists (by gender identity)Economists Line Up to race the 5K
– Top three theorists (by gender identity)
– Top three microeconomists (by gender identity)
– Top three macroeconomists (by gender identity)
– Fastest run with a dog
– Fastest run with a stroller (and occupant!)
– Streak award for the longest streak of consecutive 5Ks in December
– Run that is most outstanding in terms of artistic merit (with route captured on Strava or similar app)
– Largest group of economists running together

Professor Naknoi Published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance

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Professor Kanda Naknoi has published an article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance.

The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance is a dynamic encyclopedia continuously updated by the world’s leading scholars. In particular, Professor Naknoi reviewed both empirical and theoretical studies on “Trade and International Macroeconomics” during the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

https://oxfordre.com/economics/page/recently-published/