At the Storrs Career Fair, four of our third-semester MSQE students and two of our first-semester MSQE students visited our table as they made their way through the fair. Pictured below are Prof. Oskar Harmon, MSQE students: Khoa Tran and Colin Pavel.
Professor Oskar Harmon and Graduate Program Assistant Lisa Bono represented the MSQE Program at three UConn Career Fairs this Fall semester – the UConn Storrs All Majors Career Fair, the UConn Storrs Stem Career Fair, and the UConn Stamford Career Fair.
At the Stamford Career Fair, our first-semester Stamford-based MSQE students and several undergraduates visited our table. Pictured below are Joao Benites (MSQE), Prof. Oskar Harmon, Serhiy Kotsopey (MSQE) and Stamford student Eraldo Ndoj.
At the table we distributed brochures describing the program, gave away some of our branded swag, including a raffle for an MSQE custom-made Columbia fleece jacket, and signed students up for our upcoming Info Sessions and Newsletters.
From seniors interested in the MSQE Program and undergraduates interested in the “4+1” accelerated program option, we collected 60+ email addresses from the Storrs and Stamford Fairs. We also networked with many recruiters interested in learning more about the MSQE program and in potentially hiring MSQE graduates.
Matthew Dalzell (’25) (left) receives a participation certificate at the NYSEA annual conference on October 21, 2023. NYSEA officials from left to right: Dr. Platt, President, SUNY Old Westbury, Dr. MacDonald, Vice President, CUNY College of Technology, and Dr. Ikwueze, Board of Directors, CUNY Queensborough.
Matthew Dalzell’s (‘25) research paper “The Impact of Privately Owned Buses on Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Connecticut”, written in the Spring 2023 during the ECON 3431W Public Economics course taught by Professor Smirnova at the Stamford campus, was accepted for presentation at the New York State Economics Association (NYSEA) as part of the undergraduate papers competition.
On October 21, 2023, Matthew Dalzell (‘25) presented his research to a panel of judges among seven undergraduate papers that were selected.
The submitted research papers are judged in two rounds. The first round consists of the assessment of quality of papers by judges, who are professors of economics, finance, and business at various universities-members of NYSEA. From a dozen submitted undergraduate papers, seven were selected for the second round and invited to present at the conference.
The second round, which consists of paper presentation, was held as part of the NYSEA annual conference. This year, the conference was held on the campus of SUNY Old Westbury on Long Island, NY. Seven selected papers were presented at an open forum in front of the panel of judges as well as of other conference attendees (professors, professionals, and graduate students). Within this round, the presentation skills, and the ability to defend one’s research were assessed.
Matthew Dalzell (’25) provided a thorough presentation and answered many questions from judges and audience as he passionately talked about the impact of transportation industry on climate change. He put forward several policy ideas about mitigation of CO2 emissions in Connecticut.
The exposure of undergraduate students to outside audiences as they present their research helps them develop such career competencies as professionalism, communication, and self-development.
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.”
The Review of Economics of the Household, where Professor Jorge Agüero was an editor, published an article honoring his life and work.
Veronica Frisancho, a frequent coauthor of Professor Agüero, wrote the tribute. She ends, “I am deeply honored to have been Jorge’s friend and coauthor. Jorge has been a true inspiration and getting used to the idea of not having him around anymore will be extremely difficult. He still had much to contribute to the profession, but I am certain that all his coauthors and the students he trained will carry his legacy forward.”
Professors Metin Coşgel and Thomas Miceli recently participated in an interview on Faculti, in which they “offer new data and a new analytical approach to examine the roots of today’s civil conflicts that lie deeply in religious and political history.”
Professor Remy Levin was quoted recently in an article in the Financial Times:
Remy Levin, a behavioural scientist at the University of Connecticut, said: “As a scientist, it is Prof Ariely’s duty to ensure that his scientific record is free of errors and falsehoods. The burden of proof lies with him to show to the scientific community and the public at large that he has told the truth about his work.”
Professor Langlois recently published an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal about the Big-Tech regulatory commission proposed by Senators Lindsey Graham and Elizabeth Warren, arguing that historical precedents from the Twentieth Century like the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Federal Communications Commission should give us pause about creating a new intendent regulatory commission.
Greenwich High School team featured in the Journal of Future Economists, 2023, FRBNY: page 78.
During 2022-2023 academic year, Greenwich High School students enrolled in the Early College Experience (ECE) Economics courses taught by Mr. Ian Tiedemann participated in the High School Fed Challenge, which is an academic competition where teams of students act as future economists. The competition is administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and offers the opportunity for students to develop skills in teamwork, research, data literacy, and analytical writing. Student teams author economics research and pursue recognition in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Journal of Future Economists.
In June, the announcement of the winners of the essay content came out, and we learned that Greenwich HS team is one of the winners! Their essay “It’s a (s)Mall World: Globalization, E-Commerce, and Shopping Malls” is included in the Journal of Future Economists, 2023: pp. 78-91.
We congratulate the team of students: Ambika Grover, Ryan Kaufman, Cindy Li, Max Lu, Amrutha Nandakumar, Charles Andrew Miranda, Nicole Orlofsky, and Elliott Gordon.
We congratulate their teacher, certified ECE Economics instructor, Mr. Ian Tiedemann.
Through the Office of Early College Programs, the Economics Department works closely with 58 UConn ECE certified Economics instructors representing 42 different partner high schools across the state. In 2022-2023 academic year, 785 students were enrolled in 64 UConn Economics courses (ECON 1000, 1201, 1202). Since some students take more than one course, there were 1225 total enrollments.
The impact on students who take Early College Experience (ECE) Economics courses is manyfold. They get acquainted with the academic rigor of CLAS, gain familiarity with the University as a whole, and publicize the prominence of UConn across the nation and around the world when gaining acceptance to institutions of higher education.
ECE students’ success reflects positively on the University of Connecticut, as these students continue to prosper throughout the country at the various universities and colleges they attend. Their continued success is indicative of their college readiness in part due to their enrollment in the UConn ECE program.
The episode “What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?” has just been released and is available on the Freakonomics website here, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast sites.
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.
The Review of Economics of the Household, where Professor Jorge Agüero was an editor, published 
Professor Langlois received the 2023