Economics End-of-Year Event
Come join the economics department for a brunch to celebrate the end of the academic year.
Wednesday, May 8 from 10:30-12PM in Nicholson Economics Commons (Converse 306)
Open to econ majors and the econ major curious!
Come join the economics department for a brunch to celebrate the end of the academic year.
Wednesday, May 8 from 10:30-12PM in Nicholson Economics Commons (Converse 306)
Open to econ majors and the econ major curious!
Junior econ majors interested in completing an economics thesis next year should attend this session.
Wednesday, May 8 from 2:30-3PM in Nicholson Economics Commons (Converse 306)
Light refreshments will be served.
Graduating seniors in the Class of 24E and Class of 24 are invited with their families and guests to our annual reception to celebrate your Commencement.
Saturday, May 25 from 5PM-6:30 in in Nicholson Economics Commons (Converse 306)
Light refreshments and a bar will be served.
Seniors in the economics honors program will give their final presentation and defense of their thesis to the faculty, fellow students and guests.
Light refreshments will be served.
Day 1: Wednesday, April 24, 4:00-6:30PM in Chapin 201
Day 2: Thursday, April 25, 4:00-6:45PM in Chapin 201
Economics and Ed. Studies major Ariana Rodriguez 24 is competing in Amherst's Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) with her thesis Does a Little go a Long Way? Evidence from the Vaso de Leche School Nutrition Program in El Salvador.
The 3MT® is a worldwide competition where senior thesis students from 10 different departments at Amherst compete for cash prizes as they communicate the significance of their thesis in a compelling and accessible way—in just three minutes!
Come cheer for Ariana on Wednesday, May 1, 4:30PM in Stirn Auditorium
April 2024—Professor Jessica Reyes of Amherst College and Professor Rene Reyes of Suffolk University Law School published their article, “Abolition Economics,” in the Michigan Journal of Race & Law.
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFP) to two economics alums: Charlie Smith ’19 and Juanita Jaramillo ’22. Charlie is a Ph.D. student in finance and economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Juanita is starting her Ph.D. in economics and public policy in Fall 2024 at the University of Michigan.
At Amherst both were recipients of the department's James R. Nelson Prize awarded to the senior who has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy.
“The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. A goal of the program is to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM.”
**PLEASE NOTE: Economics declarations may take up to two weeks to process in S24. Please plan accordingly**
There are several steps you must complete to declare a major in economics:
Please note the following:
The Department of Economics is committed to creating learning environments that are inclusive, anti-racist, and supportive of open inquiry and debate. We are deeply concerned about student experiences regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our major. While we have been working hard to listen, innovate, and improve, we know there is much to be done.
We have written an Open Letter to students on Anti-Racism and plan to host meetings in the fall semester to listen to students and discuss this ongoing work. We look forward to being in conversation with you this Fall!
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Economics Anti-Racist Report for Students - May 2023.pdf | 117.08 KB |
Available ECON 111 Sections for Fall 2024
ECON 111-01 | LEC MW 12:30-1:50PM Prof Baisa Prof Barbezat | DIS Th 1-1:50 DIS Th 2-2:50 DIS Th 3-3:50 | ECON 111F-01F ECON 111F-02F ECON 111F-03F |
ECON 111-02 | LEC TTh 2:30-3:50PM Prof Ishii | DIS W 2-2:50
| ECON 111F-04F
|
ECON 111-03 | LEC MW 2:30-3:50PM Prof Gebresilasse | DIS Th 1-1:50
| ECON 111F-05F
|
ECON 111-04 | LEC TTh 1-2:20PM Prof Theoharides | DIS W 1-1:50 | ECON 111F-06F |
Please note: There will be no 111E offered in AY 24-25
ECON 227
International Trade
Prof. Wang
227-01 TTh 10-11:20
227-02 TTh 1-2:20
This course will examine the patterns, causes, and consequences of international trade. We will begin by exploring empirical data on international trade, addressing questions such as: How has trade evolved over time? Which countries exhibit trade deficits or surpluses? And which country pairs trade more than others? Moving forward, we will use classic models of international trade to discuss the determinants of trade patterns. Key questions we will address include: Why and how much do nations trade? What factors determine the composition of exported goods of a given country? Subsequently, we will analyze the impact of international trade, particularly its effects on welfare, wages, employment, and inequality. We will examine who may benefit and who may lose as a result of opening to trade. In the final section, we will discuss the implications of various trade policies, including tariffs, quotas, export subsidies, and trade agreements. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the application of theoretical frameworks to explain trade patterns observed in data and to analyze the impact of trade openness and policies. Students will actively participate in discussions and write policy briefs. Requisite: ECON 111/111E. Limited to 25 students. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Wang.
ECON 426
Economics of Work and Family
Visiting Fellow Prof. Kelly Ragan, Stockholm School of Economics
TTh 1-2:20PM
This course explores—empirically, historically, comparatively, and theoretically—the changing significance, timing, and meaning of work, career, dating, cohabiting, marriage, family, and other personal economic decisions. Readings and assignments will emphasize empirical, quantitative, and theoretical analysis of these topics as well as important underlying mechanisms, such as contraceptive access and social norms, in shaping economic decisions. The course will involve students in the creative process of researching, writing, and presenting original research using primary sources (often large-scale, cross-section data sets). The analytical tools developed in the classroom will be applied to current policy discussions related to The Economics of Work and Family using current media sources. Requisite: ECON 300/301, ECON 360/361. Limited to 15 students. Fall semester. Visiting Fellow Kelly Ragan, Stockholm School of Economics.
The economics department has a newly updated resource center located in our computer lab in Converse 311. Econ major Eliza Williams 26 has been curating and updating materials on graduate programs, internships and other educational programs. We invite you to browse (in the seating area behind the computers) for available opportunities. You can also take a look at the bulletin board in the hallway outside the offices of Profs Sims, Kingston and Ishii for additional options you may be interested in pursuing.
Economics and Education Studies major Ariana Rodriguez is featured in this week's Amherst Student feature Thoughts on Theses. Ariana traveled home to El Salvador this summer with funding from the Economics Department Summer Fellowship program to embark on research for her thesis on public school nutrition programs.
At the start of the summer Prof. Mesay Gebresilasse along with other Amherst faculty and administrators joined Provost Epstein on a trip to Cape Town. They visited the University of Cape Town the top university in Africa to meet with faculty and administrators, and spent time exploring the University's study-away programs for potential future partnerships with Amherst. Prof. Gebresilasse has been a member of the economics department since 2019 and his areas of economic expertise are in development and applied microeconomics.
Amherst Economics alum Audrey Cheng '20 has been published in the recent issue of Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. The paper began as her Amherst College thesis Conservation and Development in China's Nature Reserves: Win-Win or Trade-Offs? Her co-authors are her thesis advisor Kate Sims, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies at Amherst and YuanYuan Yi of China Center for Economic Research, National School of Development at Peking University. Cheng is currently a student at Harvard Law School.
In May Haoran Tong '23 was highlighted in Behind the Scenes: Senior Theses Projects for his work on two theses, one for LJST and one for Economics. And in August Amherst Magazine featured his impressive work and accomplishments as an undergrad in an article titled The Pride of Amherst. Tong is also the 2023 recipient of The James R. Nelson Memorial Award, presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education.
The Bernstein Prize funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son did at Amherst College is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics: Sara Kao 23
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy: Xinyu Ni 23
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education: Haoran Tong 23
The Jeanne Reinle Prize named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics: Maira Owais 23, Ella Steciuk 23
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize to be awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College: Aidan Cook 24, Ernest Protas 24, Gillian Richard 24, Aryen Shrestha 24
The Hamilton Prize which was established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from 1915-1923, is awarded to that first year student who ranks highest in the economics courses he or she has taken: Winton Garrelts 26, Andrew Glassford 26, Ivy Haight 25, Rhine Hazra 26
Senior economics honors student Sara Kao was awarded the 2023 Franklin S. Odo Prize for her thesis Ethnic Enclaves and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from Refugee Resettlement After the Vietnam War.
The Franklin S. Odo Prize Fund was named in memory of the late Franklin S. Odo, the John Woodruff Simpson Lecturer and former John J. McCloy ’16 Visiting Professor of American Institutions and International Diplomacy in the Department of American Studies, the Fund supports a prize to be awarded annually to a senior who has produced an outstanding thesis in the area of Asian/Pacific/American studies.