Professor Natalia Smirnova’s reflections on being the inaugural Faculty Fellow through the Center for Career Development in Spring 2023 have been posted by the Center for Career Development
The full article may be found online at:
Faculty achievement
Professor Segerson featured on Harvard Environmental Economics Podcast
Professor Kathleen Segerson was featured recently on the Harvard Environmental Economics Program podcast “Environmental Insights.”
Her conversation with Robert Stavins is the subject of his blog post The Challenge Posed to U.S. Climate Policy by Political Polarization:
“In my podcast series, “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” I’ve enjoyed chatting with economists who have been leaders in the realm of environmental, energy, and resource economics. My most recent guest fits in that group, because I was joined by Kathleen Segerson, who in addition to her academic and scholarly research and teaching, has served on numerous state, national, and international advisory boards. The podcast is produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. You can listen to our complete conversation here.“
The full post is available online at: https://www.robertstavinsblog.org/2023/06/01/the-challenge-posed-to-u-s-climate-policy-by-political-polarization/
2023 Spring Awards Banquet
On April 13, the department convened for an awards banquet that recognized the best among undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty. This year’s award recipients are:
Undergraduate Awards
Economics Department General Scholarship
Pin Lyu
Justin Wu
Kathryn A. Cassidy Economics Scholarship
Solaiman Chowdhury
Annaliesa Wood
Rockwood Q. P. Chin Scholarship
Lila Pickerign
Stratton Stave
Ruoqi Wang
Qiaozhi Zhou
Ziyun Zhou
Louis D. Traurig Scholarship
Aidan Adams
Erik Choi
Ian Ferguson
Nadine Fernando
Sophia Lemirei
Paul N. Taylor Memorial Prize
Colman Tokar
Julia & Harold Fenton and Yolanda & Augustine Sineti Scholarship
Annelise Montuori
Charles Triano Scholarship
Summer Beebe
John Doran
Dr. Joseph W. McAnneny Jr. Scholarship
Adem Aksoy
Dylan Champagne
Keven Coşgel
Eleanor Gross
Anthony Ho
Shuhan Jiang
Isabella McClure
Ross Mayer Scholarship
Jackson Bright
Virag Korniss
Graduate Awards
Albert E. Waugh Scholarship
Miranda Mendiola Valdez
W. Harrison Carter Award
Matthew Brown
Victor Volkman
Abraham Ribicoff Graduate Fellowship
Abdulmoshen Almuhaisen
Timothy A. and Beverly C. Holt Economics Fellowship
Satadru Bhattacharyya
Xiaofeng Gong
Phillip Hwang
Shangyue Jiang
Meng Song
Feifan Wang
Xinrui Wang
Economics Department Research Excellence Award
Anastassiya Karaban
Best Third Year Paper Award
Kunze Li
Faculty Awards
Grillo Family Research Award
Grillo Family Teaching Award
Employee Appreciation and Farewell
Rosanne Fitzgerald
Nishith Prakash
Faculty Recognition: National Academy of Sciences
Congratulations to everyone!
Professor Segerson Inducted into the National Academy of Sciences
Professor Segerson signed the “Book of Registry” at the Presentation Ceremony, an annual tradition to officially induct members into the Academy.
“Members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. Current NAS membership totals approximately 2,400 members and 500 international members, of which approximately 190 have received Nobel prizes.”
“The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the NAS for outstanding contributions to research. The NAS is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community. Approximately 500 current and deceased members of the NAS have won Nobel Prizes, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, founded in 1914, is today one of the premier international journals publishing the results of original research.”
Information about the National Academy of Science and its members may be found online at: http://www.nasonline.org/
Economic Inquiry Recognizes Research of Prof. Couch as Best Article Published in 2022
The article, “The Evolving Impacts of COVID-19 on Gender Inequality in the U.S. Labor Market: The COVID Motherhood Penalty” co-authored by UConn Economics Professor Kenneth Couch, Robert Fairlie (Cal-Santa Cruz) and Huanan Xu (Indiana University South Bend) was selected as the Best Article published in Economic Inquiry in 2022.
The announcement and a link to download the paper can be found here: https://weai.org/news/view/51
Professor Smirnova is the first Faculty Fellow at the Center for Career Development
The Center for Career Development announced its first Faculty Fellow – Dr. Natalia Smirnova. As the Career Center continues to move toward its vision of ‘creating a university-wide career readiness culture that prepares all students for post-graduation success’, they have been extending their reach to partnering with faculty and staff more intentionally over the past several years.
Dr. Smirnova’s work on career readiness is closely aligned with the mission of the Center for Career Development and its Career Champions program. Professor Smirnova in her courses encourages students to build skills that are transferable to the workplace. With her co-authors, she developed an instructional module where students learn about their major and career path by using publicly available large data set. At the Stamford campus, she collaborates with various departments to arrange career panels, builds a network of business community leaders to mentor her students, and encourages students’ participation in various national economics competitions and conferences.
As the inaugural Career Faculty Fellow, Dr. Smirnova will be developing materials related to integration of career competencies into syllabi, serving as an ambassador to academic departments and faculty, and creating a sustainable program of faculty fellowship.
Professor Ross Reappointed to AEJ Policy Editorial Board
Professor Steve Ross has been reappointed for a second three-year term to the Board of Editors of the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy by the American Economic Association Executive Committee.
For more about the journal, see:
Professor Hallwood and the Scotland Act
Professor Paul Hallwood’s work has been seen to have influenced the Constitutional settlement for Scotland – i.e. the Scotland Act of 2016.
“Have the wheels come off the plan to make Scotland a global player?” The Herald, 7th April 2012
“One paper, an eighth lecture – the [Allender] series was extended after the first seven – was delivered by the Scottish economist Ronald MacDonald and the American Paul Hallwood, and became the subject of intensive political scrutiny. They argued that greater fiscal autonomy for the Scottish Parliament might encourage better economic decision making”.
The Scotland Act of 2016 indeed incorporates many of their ideas for greater tax raising powers being devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Parliament’ s new powers are being delivered by the Scotland Act 2016 [1] :
- Scotland has new powers as part of a secure UK.
- The Scotland Act 2016 delivers the UK Government’ s commitment to the people of Scotland.
- It brings a better balance to Scotland’ s devolution settlement.
- The new powers give the Scottish Parliament much greater tax raising powers.
- In future, Holyrood will be responsible for raising more than 50% of what it spends – making it one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world.
- The Scottish Parliament will set the income tax rates and thresholds for earned income in Scotland.
- This represents annual income tax revenues of around £11 billion.
- The Scottish Parliament will retain around 95% of the income tax collected here.
- The Scotland Act gives the Scottish Parliament the power to make decisions on important areas of daily life in Scotland
Posted by the Scottish Office: GetInOnTheAct
Hallwood, P and R MacDonald (2009) The Political Economy of Financing Scottish Government, Studies in Fiscal Federalism and State-local Finance, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
Hallwood P and R MacDonald (2006), “A Restatement of the Case for Scottish Fiscal Autonomy”, Quarterly Economic Commentary, Fraser of Allender Institute, 31, 49-53.
MacDonald R and P Hallwood (2006), “The Economic Case for Fiscal Autonomy with or without Independence”, The Policy Institute, Edinburgh.
[1] Scotland_Act_tax_factsheet.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Professor Prakash named Associate Editor with Journal of Development Economics
Professor Nishith Prakash has been named an Associate Editor with the Journal of Development Economics, which publishes “original research papers relating to all aspects of economic development – from immediate policy concerns to structural problems of underdevelopment.”
Information about the Journal, and about the Editorial Board, may be found online at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-development-economics/about
Professor Agüero has a Top 10 Most Cited Paper in World Development
Professor Jorge Agüero’s paper “COVID-19 and The Rise of Intimate Partner Violence” is now a Top 10 most cited paper in World Development, considering all publications since 2018.
The paper may be found online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105217
The abstract is below:
Title: COVID-19 and The Rise of Intimate Partner Violence
Abstract: Stay-at-home policies have been implemented worldwide to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, there is a growing concern that such policies could increase violence against women. We find evidence in support of this critical concern. We focus on Peru, a country that imposed a strict nationwide lockdown starting in mid-March and where nearly 60% of women already experienced violence before COVID-19. Using administrative data on phone calls to the helpline for domestic violence (Línea 100), we find that the incidence rate of the calls increased by 48 percent between April and July 2020, with effects increasing over time. The rise in calls is found across all states and it is not driven by baseline characteristics, including previous prevalence of violence against women. These findings create the need to identify policies to mitigate the negative impact of stay-at-home orders on women’s safety.