Faculty achievement

UConn Storrs Fed Challenge Team Advances to National Finals

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Congratulations to the UConn Storrs Fed Challenge team!

Over the past few days, the undergraduate students on the Fed Challenge team competed in the Boston Federal Reserve (Boston Regional) Fed Challenge competition, and they excelled – first advancing to the Boston Regional Finals, and then advancing to the National Finals.

As a result, in November the team members will be presenting their economic forecasts and monetary policy recommendations to the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC. This is an exceptional achievement.

A brief recap of the Boston event…  On Friday, October 18th, the team competed with 23 other universities and colleges in the New England Boston Federal Reserve district. For the first round, the 24 teams (universities and colleges) were divided into six groups of four, with the winner of each group moving on to the Boston Regional Finals.

The UConn team won in its group, and earned its spot in the Regional Finals, joining the other five other Regional Finalists (Yale, Harvard, Wellesley, Babson and Dartmouth) to compete in a final round on Sunday. The final round would decide which three of the six Regional Finalists would move on to the National Finals.

UConn competed against the schools in the Regional Finals, presenting analyses of current macroeconomic conditions and monetary policy recommendations and fielding questions from Boston Federal Reserve economists.  The UConn team was outstanding, and by the end of the day had made it to the National Finals along with two other teams.

The three New England Universities to move on are Yale, Harvard and UConn.

Congratulations to our student team members for all of their hard work and accomplishments!

The students are:

            Viren Chainani (presenter)
            Spencer Thompson (presenter)
            Claire Dobbins (presenter)
            Rai Kumar (presenter)
            Katrina Melnik (presenter)
            Nameeda Elmi
            William Infante
            Lilla Korniss
            Evelyn Zhou
            John Mclean

The faculty advisors are Derek Johnson and Owen Svalestad.

Professor Langlois Delivers the Eli Heckscher Lecture in Stockholm

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Photo of Richard Langlois, Economics Department Head

Professor Langlois delivered the Eli Heckscher Memorial Lecture at the Stockholm School of Economics on September 26, 2024, talking on the theme of the American corporation in the twentieth century.

The Heckscher lecture has been given annually since 2003 by a list of distinguished economists, including two Nobel Laureates. It is named in honor of Eli Heckscher (1879-1952), known to most economists for the Heckscher-Ohlin theorem in international trade, who was the founder of economic history in Sweden.

Professor Langlois wins the Alice Hanson Jones Prize

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The Corporation and the Twentieth Century book coverProfessor Richard Langlois has won the Alice Hanson Jones Prize for his recent book The Corporation and the Twentieth Century: the History of American Business Enterprise (Princeton University Press, 2023).

The prize, announced on September 7 at the 2024 meeting of the Economic History Association, the professional society of economic historians, is awarded every other year for an outstanding book on North American economic history.

The Corporation and the Twentieth Century was also a finalist for the George R. Terry Book Award of the Academy of Management.

Professor Tianxu Chen: Faculty Fellow at the Center for Career Development

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The University of Connecticut’s Center for Career Development is excited to announce that Professor Tianxu Chen from the Department of Economics has been selected as a Faculty Fellow for Summer 2024. This prestigious fellowship highlights Professor Chen’s commitment to enhancing students’ career readiness and bridging the gap between academic theory and practical application.

As part of this fellowship, Professor Chen will collaborate with career development experts to integrate career competencies into the curriculum of her labor economics course. The goal is to ensure that students not only grasp economic theories but also understand their relevance in today’s labor market. By incorporating real-world applications and insights from industry professionals, Professor Chen aims to equip students with the skills necessary for success in their future careers.

Career Competency Innovation Award goes to Professor Smirnova

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Jim Lowe, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of Career Center, presents the Award to Professor Smirnova
Jim Lowe, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of Career Center, presented the Award.

UConn Center for Career Development hosted the 2024 Career Everywhere Recognition & Celebration Event on May 1, 2024. The event was filled with enthusiasm and camaraderie, fostering meaningful connections among Career Champions in attendance. There are nearly 1,000 dedicated UConn Career Champions (faculty, staff, and employers) who tirelessly support our students in their journey toward post-graduation success.

The nominations for several awards given by the Career Center were solicited from students, faculty, and staff. Professor Smirnova received the inaugural Career Competency Innovation Award.

Nancy Bilmes, Director of the Career Center, described Professor Smirnova’s innovations as aligning course syllabi with NACE career competencies, integrating career readiness modules across their courses on HuskyCT, designing assignments focused on career competencies, presenting at national and regional conferences, and conducting impactful research on the impact of career-focused assignments on students’ knowledge acquisition within their chosen fields. Natalia’s approach to embedding career development into her teaching not only equips students with essential skills but also demonstrates a commitment to fostering holistic growth and success beyond the classroom.

Professor Smirnova’s work on students’ career competencies’ development is documented in her teaching portfolio.

Economics Faculty Delia Furtado and Tianxu Chen Receive Promotions

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Congratulations to Economics faculty Delia Furtado, who has received promotion to Professor, and Tianxu Chen, promoted to Associate Professor in Residence!

The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees approved the promotions at their Board meeting on Wednesday, April 17th.

UConn Celebrates Promotion and Tenure of 91 Faculty

 

Professor Smirnova Receives Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership

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Logo of the UConn Early College Experience Program

Professor Smirnova was selected to receive 2024 Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership for her work with the Early College Experience Program.

This award recognizes a University of Connecticut faculty member serving as the UConn Early College Experience Faculty Coordinator for their discipline in an exemplary or unique fashion.

With over 50 UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators, there is a very competitive nomination pool every year, and the review committee is challenged to identify the top candidates.

In addition to day to day work of innovation, inspiring and empowering ECE Economics instructors at our partner schools throughout the state, and promoting University of Connecticut resources that enhance UConn Early College Experience, Dr. Smirnova received a very strong nomination from the ECE Economics instructor, Colleen Peling from William Hall High School in West Hartford, making it clear that Natalia was a top candidate.

Economics is the biggest UConn ECE cohort with 58 ECE certified Economics instructors representing 42 different partner high schools across the state.

The ECE Office and all ECE Economics instructors from UConn partner schools congratulate Dr. Smirnova on this respected professional achievement and commend her for the steadfast dedication to UConn, all ECE students and Instructors, and the UConn Early College Experience Program.

Professor Furtado Takes On New Editorial Roles

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Professor Furtado is now a co-editor at the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (JEBO) and a specialized co-editor at Economic Inquiry.

From the journals’ webpages:

Cover of the Journal of Eocnomic Behavior and Organization“The Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization is devoted to theoretical and empirical research concerning economic decision, organization and behavior and to economic change in all its aspects. Its specific purposes are to foster an improved understanding of how human cognitive, computational and informational characteristics influence the working of economic organizations and market economies and how an economy’s structural features lead to various types of micro and macro behavior, to changing patterns of development and to institutional evolution.”

Cover of the journal Economic Inquiry“Economic Inquiry is a highly regarded scholarly journal in economics publishing articles of general interest across the profession. Quality research that is accessible to a broad range of economists is the primary focus of the journal.”

For both journals, Professor Furtado is handling papers in labor and demographic economics.

Professor Smirnova Receives Stamford Faculty Recognition Award 2023

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Dr. Smirnova (left) and Dr. Tropp, Director of Academic Affairs & Associate Director of the Stamford Campus, during the Award Ceremony in Stamford, October 10, 2023

Every year, UConn Stamford campus administration recognizes two faculty members and a staff member for their contribution to the campus community. This year, Dr. Smirnova from the Department of Economics was one of the Faculty Recognition Award recipients.

This award is given annually to a faculty member who made significant contributions through their scholarly activities or service benefiting the University community. Recipients demonstrate high standards for academic achievement, sincerity and enthusiasm in teaching, relate classroom learning to real life situations, motivate students to excel, and respect students’ opinions.

On October 10, 2023, Dr. Tropp, Director of Academic Affairs & Associate Director of the Stamford Campus, presented the Award and shared commendations from multiple students.

“Dr. Smirnova is an innovative, enthusiastic professor who nurtures creativity and stimulates critical thinking and self-reflection within her students. She strives to engage her students by employing active learning techniques, team-based learning, and real-world application of course topics. She helps students to embark on their career exploration early on by inviting alumni/employers into the classroom to give students information firsthand from industry experts.”

“Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to engage in Dr. Smirnova’s classes and experiential learning initiatives at UConn. She has made a profound impact on who I am as a student, and my future career path.”

Professor Langlois Receives the Goodstein-Langer Award for Honors Advising

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Professor Langlois receives the Goodstein Langer awardProfessor Langlois received the 2023 Goodstein-Langer Award for Honors Advising during the Honors Program’s annual medals ceremony:

Since 2017, a member of the Honors Program faculty or staff is awarded the distinction and recognition for outstanding advising. This honor is determined by nominations submitted by Honors students, providing them the opportunity to share their experience and the positive impact of the faculty or staff member they have nominated.

This award recognizes outstanding contributions to undergraduate advising by faculty or staff members to Honors Program students. Nominees for this distinction have significantly exceeded expectations by providing exceptional undergraduate advising experiences to Honors students. This fund was established by Dr. Lynn Goodstein and Dr. Peter Langer, who both have strong ties to UConn Honors. The late Lynn Goodstein served as the Associate Vice Provost and Director from 2002 to 2012, and her husband, Peter Langer is a graduate of the inaugural Honors Program Class of 1968.