Senior Honors Thesis
Writing a senior thesis is an excellent way for students to build upon their economics coursework and pursue research that is meaningful and interesting to them. It also allows students to hone the skills they’ve developed and apply frameworks and knowledge in a way that develops an even greater analytical perspective.
Writing a senior thesis requires organization, planning, and focus. Students interested in writing a senior thesis should consult the Senior Honors Thesis Guidelines. The guidelines document describes the philosophy behind the senior thesis and walks you through the process of selecting a topic, engaging a faculty adviser, and registering for the two-semester senior honors thesis seminar.
Past thesis students have found this experience richly rewarding. Read the testimonials below to learn how the opportunity to work closely with a faculty adviser and to think critically and deeply about a significant intellectual problem of their own selection helped these BC alumni grow as researchers, analysts, writers and critical thinkers. While a thesis is arguably essential for students who intend to pursue graduate work in economics, it is also incredibly valuable for the majority of thesis students who follow other paths.
Students who are interested in writing a senior thesis should begin the process in the spring of their junior year (identifying a faculty adviser and developing a research idea in late March or early April).
Resources
- Senior Honors Thesis Guidelines
- Senior Honors Thesis Application Form (Due April 30 Junior Year)
- Senior Honors Thesis guide to selecting a topic and writing a topic proposal
- To see samples of past theses by economics students, please visit the eScholarship page on the BC Library’s website.
- Current and past years’ thesis topics
Student Testimonials
Natalie Almonacid Natalie Almonacid
Natalie Almonacid
Thesis: “The Great Unequalizer: The Impact of COVID-19 Policies on Racial and Ethnic Groups’ Employment Outcomes” (Sanzenbacher)
After taking numerous economics courses, one thing I knew I wanted to accomplish before graduating from BC was to write a senior thesis. I was interested in many topics, and with the desire to stay in academia and conduct research, completing a senior thesis would fulfill my curiosities but also help me learn more about the research process. The impact of COVID-19 and its multidimensional nature inspired me to further examine the pandemic's impact on different populations, leading my thesis to investigate how COVID-19 impacted different racial and ethnic groups, and whether or not it exacerbated inequality. Writing a senior thesis has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences I’ve had during my four years here. Despite some obstacles I’ve encountered, like a lack of available literature and ideal data, and determining the best methodological approach to employ, my thesis has allowed me to pursue my interests, improve my data skills, and engage in a process where I can complete my own independent research. Conducting my own research and writing a thesis has been a valuable experience that has helped prepare me for the future.
After graduation, I’ll be working at Charles River Associates as an Analyst in the Antitrust and Competition practice.
Ansel Kufta Ansel Kufta
Ansel Kufta
Thesis: “Walking on Sunshine: Can Vitamin D and UV-Exposure Explain Opioid Use?” (Cox)
Research is a word that sounds quite intimidating and serious, and in some regards, writing a thesis was. It demanded a great deal of attention, tinkering, and care. However, the process has also been a notable highlight of my time at BC. It was a unique and fun experience: flexing all the knowledge built up in past courses, diving into burning personal curiosities, and crafting meaningful work from the bottom up with generous guidance from faculty. I would recommend everyone genuinely interested in economics to write a thesis. I especially encourage anyone considering it to not shy away from questions, ideas, or words that may seem unconventional or nontraditional. Economics lends itself to many topics, and you can truly make your thesis your own!
I will begin working this summer as an Actuarial Analyst at Mercer.
John Kwamena Hayfron-Benjamin John Kwamena Hayfron-Benjamin
John Kwamena Hayfron-Benjamin
Thesis: “Hidden Diversity: Measuring the Income Gap Between African Americans and Nigerian Americans” (Sanzenbacher)
Writing a thesis was the most challenging and rewarding academic pursuit of my undergraduate experience. While writing a thesis is not easy, your thesis advisor will help make it feel possible. Professor Sanzenbacher spent hours with me on Zoom, and in his office, providing advice on the next steps. The most beautiful thing about writing a thesis is that it is the one body of work at BC that you can say is absolutely yours. Although you have the help of your advisor, the thesis originates from a question you have about the world, and you spend two semesters attempting to answer that question. There are often challenges and roadblocks along the way, and overcoming these obstacles is half the value of the experience. The other half is that this project ends up being a culmination of all you have learned about economics during your time in BC. It really feels like you are circling back and bringing every previous class with you into one project, which is the most amazing feeling in your final year. I cannot recommend the thesis enough.
After Graduation, I will work as an Associate Consultant at Boston Consulting Group.
Joseph Lamoureux Joseph Lamoureux
Joseph Lamoureux
Thesis: “Is a Helping Hand Better than an Invisible One? The Effect of Helpfulness on Employee Engagement” (Cox)
Writing a thesis has been the perfect culmination of my undergraduate education. While it has certainly been a commitment, it has also given me the freedom to explore a topic I am curious about in a way that synthesizes and furthers so much of what I’ve learned here at BC. Writing a thesis teaches you how to set your own direction, how to communicate clearly and concisely, and how to think both creatively and critically - all while you contribute to existing knowledge. It is a unique experience, and it was something I was consistently asked about in job interviews. I really enjoyed writing a thesis and I would highly recommend taking on the challenge.
After graduation, I will be starting as a Strategy Analyst at Deloitte Consulting.
Shankaraditya (Aditya) Rao Shankaraditya (Aditya) Rao
Shankaraditya (Aditya) Rao
Thesis: “Quantifying How United States Clean Energy Expansion Policies Interact with European Union Investment: An Event Study Using Green Bond Spreads” (Grubb)
The thesis experience was a truly rewarding journey that allowed me to connect the dots between various fields under an economics-based approach. For me, a small topic from a renewable energy finance elective blossomed into a multi-disciplinary idea to evaluate the economic impacts of clean energy policy. The independent nature of the program also provided the flexibility to explore creative, complex problems while enriching my knowledge of econometric methods and research techniques. Despite undertaking a massive project by myself, structured aspects of the program such as meetings with my advisor and gatherings of the thesis cohort provided a sense of community while fostering my academic curiosity. The opportunity to meet and discuss ideas with my advisor, Professor Grubb, was especially invaluable. Overall, my thesis experience cultivated a sense of resilience, self-sufficiency, and reativity in an unparalleled and exciting journey.
Upon graduation, I will be pursuing a Masters of Science in Finance at Brandeis University.
Benjamin Ragland Benjamin Ragland
Benjamin Ragland
Thesis: “Overworked or Underloved? Exploring the relationship between overtime work and marital stability for high-income occupations” (Venator)
The Economics Thesis program was an amazing journey that profoundly shaped both my academic and personal growth. I always thought I would be a good fit for the thesis program because I enjoy extensive writing, hich is important if you want to produce 50-60 pages of original work. hat I did not anticipate however, was the numerous skills and lessons I would learn along the way, which will be truly invaluable in my future endeavors. The process underscored the importance of time management, being receptive to feedback and refinement, and how to be meticulous in my attention to detail. But most importantly, writing a thesis allowed me to study an area of deep interest within Economics, which ultimately demonstrated that work really can become a passion. Being able to perform independent research on the work-family conflict and then translate that research into feasible, quantitative results has been the most academically and personally fulfilling project I have been a part of at Boston College, and I am extremely grateful to all of those who helped along the way.
Upon Graduation, I will be working as an Analyst for Canaccord Genuity.
Tymann Grace Grace Tymann
Tymann Grace
Thesis: “Minimum Wages and Labor Unions: How Minimum Wages Impact an Individual's Decision to Vote For or Against a Labor Union” (Sanzenbacher)
In deciding whether or not to write a thesis during my junior year, a piece of advice I received from my academic advisor Professor Can Erbil convinced me that it was worthwhile. He told me that no one economics course is going to be as memorable, impressive, or impactful as writing a thesis during my senior year. A thesis is something that sticks out, something that I can speak towards in my future, and an opportunity to do a deep dive into something that I am truly passionate about. I am thankful to have taken Professor Erbil’s advice. Under the supervision of Professor Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, I am writing my thesis on how minimum wage policies influence someone’s likelihood to vote for or against a labor union. Labor unions, which often coincide with higher wages and improved workers rights, have been on the decline for decades. I hope to provide color as to how the presence and strength of outside options, specifically local minimum wages, influence an individual's decision whether to vote for a labor union in my thesis. Writing a thesis requires intense discipline which can be a challenge, though I am grateful to have the support of my peers, the BC Economics Department, and my advisor. This year-long process has taught me a lot about my work style, such as that I work well with deadlines and enjoy collaboration.
Learning this about myself will surely be helpful as I start my full-time position as an Investment Analyst at John Hancock in their Boston office beginning in July 2022.
Shaokai (Kevin) Wang Shaokai (Kevin) Wang
Shaokai (Kevin) Wang
Thesis: “The Invisible Hand: Political Cycles, Economics, and the Stock Market” (Ireland)
I actually began to write my senior thesis in the fall of my senior year. Unlike a regular class where you have a specific schedule and deadlines, the senior thesis is an independent study, and you are responsible for planning your own deadlines. It requires students' commitment and dedication. After speaking with my advisor, I was able to schedule twice a month meetings with him in order to go over the progress that I had made thus far. Though the process of writing a thesis can be time-consuming, exasperating and even tiring at times. However, this is no doubt the most rewarding experience I have had at BC. I learned so much about my interests and passions and was able to explore them in a way that created a piece of work. My project has provided me with an opportunity to discuss my research in interviews, and I will continue to develop after I graduate from BC.
I am going to do economic consulting right after my graduation.
Chris Bunner Chris Bunner
Chris Bunner
Thesis: “The Social Effect of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Subsidies” (tentative title) (Sweeney)
Writing an economic thesis has been a comprehensive experience that has run the spectrum from empowering to frustrating. My thesis has taught me a lot that I wouldn’t learn from standard classes, such as planning and initiative. Whether you are a capable planner or somewhat unorganized (like myself), a thesis requires you to plan, set goals, and evaluate your progress consistently. Moreover, a thesis requires greater initiative than any class because the short-term objectives and the path to get there are ambiguous. Two important lessons I have learned are to be passionate and be flexible. A researcher must be passionate about their topic, and their question or the other aspects decline. An economic researcher must be flexible because the world is imperfect, data may not exist, and maintaining forward progress is essential for project success. Overall, writing a thesis provides many experiences and lessons that reflect the business world and have boosted my confidence to contribute to that world.I don’t yet know what I am doing after graduation, but I am in the process, so hopefully, I will discover soon.
Nadia Capolino Nadia Capolino
Nadia Capolino
Thesis: “Home Sweet Home? The Impact of Covid-19 on Women’s Participation in the Labor Market” (Quinn)
Writing a thesis has been a rollercoaster of emotions, where I was able to discover the importance of being curious, organized, and committed. When beginning my experience, my advisor Professor Quinn suggested choosing a topic I would love as “by the end of the year, you might hate it”. So, after attending Professor Sanzenbacher’s class on the Economics of Inequality, I decided to narrow down my research surrounding the impact of Covid-19 on women’s labor market. Looking back at my end result and the overall experience of this year-long journey, I learned a lot about my personal interests and passions, I became well-informed on a topic that I did not too much about before, and I understood the value that comes from having a mentor that guided and supported me throughout the year.
Next year, I will be working at AlphaSights as an Associate.
Ryan Cattich Ryan Cattich
Ryan Cattich
Thesis: “Disinformation as a Negative Externality” (Wesner (CSOM))
Writing a thesis has really been the hallmark of my undergraduate experience. Taking econometrics and the theory courses is one thing, but actually being able to apply these conceptual frameworks has proved to me that studying economics, above all, equips you to be a problem solver. Identifying the right problem to solve, however, is much easier said than done. But, it’s this process of discovery, of exploration, and of examination that makes a thesis unique. I was originally stuck in the familiar mold, that a thesis should be centered-around a regression that addresses a purely empirical question; but in reality, economics theses can address any problem — empirical or not. For me, my interests outside of economics led me to my topic, but my background in economics allowed me to approach it critically and practically. My advice to anyone considering a thesis in economics is this: the best way you can fully come to understand what you are now capable of doing is to actually do something. Nobody’s going to do it for you.
Brock Daylor Brock Daylor
Brock Daylor
Thesis: “Expect The Unexpected: The Impact Of Natural Resource Price Volatility On Governance and Corruption” (Sanzenbacher)
The thesis process is an invaluable experience for those looking to deepen their understanding of economics and grow as a student. This project gave me the flexibility and support I needed to gain expertise in a subject I am passionate about, while also developing organizational, communication, and research skills that are beneficial for any career path after graduation. In my thesis, I studied whether commodity price volatility, both immediately and on average, impacted the levels of governance and corruption in natural resource economies. This exposed me to several different bodies of economic literature, combining their influence to work on a subject that will be critical to international development in the 21st century. Thanks to extensive support from my advisor, this topic evolved and allowed me to achieve all that I hoped to gain from the year.
I will be working as a Consultant at Bates White Economic Consulting in Washington, DC, with the plan of eventually attending graduate school in economics.
Luke DeMartin Luke DeMartin
Luke DeMartin
Thesis: “Let The Boys Play: Omission Bias in MLB Umpires” (Maxwell)
Writing a thesis has truly been the most rewarding experience of my undergraduate education. What I think makes a thesis in economics especially unique and fulfilling is the freedom granted to deeply explore practically anything of interest. For me, I was able to apply years of coursework within the economics department to a silly, nerdy baseball topic that I was passionate about. The opportunity to work closely with a faculty advisor, in my case the great Professor Maxwell, was invaluable, and I left each of our meetings with a deepened sense of curiosity. I am beyond grateful to have had the chance to engage with this process, and I would highly recommend writing a thesis to anyone with an interest in economic research.
Upon graduation, I will be working as an Analyst at Cornerstone Research.
Katie Garrett Katie Garrett
Katie Garrett
Thesis: “The Love/Hate Relationship: The Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage and the Number of Reported Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes in the United States” (Sanzenbacher)
Writing a thesis has certainly been the crowning academic achievement of my four years in the Boston College economics department. Professor Sanzenbacher’s guidance as myadvisor inspired me to pursue a topic with social and political implications. I decided to use crime data to analyze the relationship between the legalization of same-sex marriage and the number of reported anti-LGBT+ hate crimes in the United States. I would absolutely encourage those considering writing a thesis to do so and to keep in mind that economic analysis lends itself to a wide variety of potential topics. While many seniors write traditional market-centeredand financial papers, students like myself that feel pulled towards more political, cultural, or sociological topics should not shy away from them. I am, of course, immensely proud of my final paper, but also of the hard work and dedication the project required. The road to the finished product is long and winding, but it is such a worthwhile journey!
Rita LaPlante Rita LaPlante
Rita LaPlante
Thesis: “Understanding Green Gentrification in Boston: A GIS Approach” (Maxwell)
Writing a senior thesis has helped me develop connections with faculty and students within the economics department and has served as an exciting outlet for me to explore my academic interests. I like the freedom we are given as students to research topics that closely align with our skills and goals, and I feel well supported by the economics faculty and staff. I have found it enriching to hear and learn from other students about their topics and their struggles while completing their research. Additionally, as a double major in Computer Science and Economics, writing a thesis has allowed me to further explore the connections between my two degrees making me a more confident student in both disciplines. By overcoming challenges throughout this process I feel that I've gained many valuable skills as I enter the professional world.
Upon graduation I will be working as a Consultant at FTI Consulting doing Data and Analytics in their Forensic Litigation and Consulting segment.
Current and Past Years’ Senior Honors Thesis Topics
Presentations will be in O'Neill 257. We will meet from 8:30-10:15 a.m. Advisers are invited to attend. Each presentation should be about 15-20 minutes in length with some additional time for questions.
| March 26 | Braden Kramer: “Assessing Initial Impacts of the Great American Outdoors Act on Gateway Community Demographics” (Murphy) |
| April 2 | Brock Daylor: “Expect The Unexpected: The Impact Of Natural Resource Price Volatility On Governance and Corruption” (Sanzenbacher) Adalyn Schommer: “The Impact of Test-Optional Admissions Policies for Catholic Colleges and Universities” (Sanzenbacher) Liuying Huang: “The Impact of CEO’s Involvement in the Media Industry on Financial Markets: a Case Study on Elon Musk’s Twitter Activity on Asset Prices” (Cox) Ansel Kufta: “Can Vitamin D and UV-Exposure Explain Opioid Use” (Cox) |
| April 4 | Tyler Smith: “Post-Pandemic Inflation: An Analysis of the Causes of the Wide Variety in Inflation Across Countries Following the Covid-19 Pandemic” (Ireland) Rona Sun: “What is the impact of the banking crisis on society's trust in the banking system?” (Ireland) Sky Lyu: “Unveiling the Veil of Growth: The Hidden Impact of Neoliberal Economic Reformation on Labor Productivity in Chile from 1973 to 1982” (Guerron) Ian Leissner: “How Occupational Exposure to Automation Impacts Wages” (Cichello) |
| April 9 | Esther An: “Has increased working mobility post-Covid changed companys' hiring preferences of new grads in Tech, Finance, and Healthcare industries?” (Rutledge) Cooper Mae Cavallo: “Success or Failure: Effect of the "Every Student Succeeds Act" on Eighth Grade Reading and Mathematics” (Rutledge) Christian DiBiase: “Healthcare on the Front Lines: Economic Realities for Nurses Pre, During, and Post COVID-19 in the U.S.” (Rutledge) Garrett Domaratzky: “A difference-in-difference estimate on the effects of ACA medicaid expansion on ER visits for individuals with poor mental health” (Rutledge) |
| April 11 | Yixiao Sun: “How did the entry of Japanese cars in the U.S. market change the U.S. automobiles design and consumer welfare from the 1970s to the 1990s?” (Murry) Yanting Wang: “The Green Initiative: California's success in reducing GHG emissions” (Baum) Yuhao Wang: “Post-COVID Changes in Means” (McHugh) Jack Sui: “Assessing the variation in SNAP Participation and Food Insecurity Across States” (Anderson) |
| April 18 | Catherine Bennett: “Emergency: RN Staffing Levels, Vacancies, and Work Satisfaction” (Sanzenbacher) Emily Howell: “Student Loans and Financial Literacy: Set-backs or Tools for Success?” (Sanzenbacher) Zhichen Zhou: “AI fever and technology companies’ financial performance” (Sanzenbacher) Duncan Wang: “How social capital affects the overdose death rates in different races/ ethnic groups” (Heyman) |
| April 23 | Kevin Lee: “Football coach discount rates and draft pick trading” (Grubb) Aditya Rao: “Using Green Bond Spreads to Quantify How United States Clean Energy Expansion Policy Shifts Investment in the European Union: A Difference-in-Difference Approach” (Grubb) Nick Traver: “Learning and Memory Given Most Information is Already Known” (Coffman) Eamon O'Malley: “Charging Ahead: Exploring the Impact of State Incentives on Electric Vehicle Adoption and Emission Reduction Targets” (Pideret) |
| April 25 | Thomas Esterbrook: “Beyond the Debate: A Meta-Analysis on Minimum Wage Effects on Employment” (Quinn) Laura Lu: “The impact of global conflicts on the ESG performance of companies” (Maxwell) Ben Ragland: “Overworked and Underloved: Exploring the Relationship Between Overtime Work and Marital Stability” (Venator) Matthew Sher: “The Impact of Human-Capital Active Labor Market Policies on Unemployment during the 2020 Coronavirus Recession” (Venator) |
| March 28 | Liam Dietrich: “Oh, SNAP! The Effect of Improved Nutrition Assistance on Enrollment” (Cichello) Emma Mayfield: “Winners and Losers: Enrollment Rates in Post-Civil War Liberia” (Cichello) Neha Suneja: “Evaluating the Impact of Crop Diversification on Smallholder Farmer Resilience in Nigeria” (Cichello) Jackson Danforth: “Environmental Policies and Their Relative Effectiveness at Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Comparative Analysis” (Sanzenbacher) |
| March 30 | Jesse Wu: “Three Year Analysis of Tulsa Remote on U.S. Computer Scientist Migration” (Kazarosian) James Monahan: “Should States Legalize Sports Betting? A Cost-Benefit Approach*” (McGowan) Gural Nuriyev: “The Deferred Acceptance Algorithm for the New-Graduate Software Engineering Labor Market” (Yenmez) Yingke "Sharon" Chen: “How inflation affects net housing value and pension wealth in the United States” (Baum) |
April 4 Note: Class starts at 8:15 a.m. | Silvia Ianeselli: “What is the elasticity of electric vehicle demand with respect to price and how does it differ between low- and high-income households?” (Sweeney) Yanjing (Helena) Xie: “Investigating the Immediate Economic Impact of the U.S. Government’s Rhetoric and Threats During the U.S.-China Trade War” (Valchev) Joe Milosh: “A Cost Comparison of Clinical and Novel In-Vitro Diagnostic Methods in the Incidental Cardiac Disease Patient Population” (Regan / Bezzerides) Lauren Gillet: “The Overeducation of Syrian Immigrants in Jordan” (Sankaran) Thamar (Naika) Jean Laurent: “Monopolizing Bodies: An economic analysis of Kidnapping for ransom in Haiti” (Sankaran) |
| April 11 | Shijian (Russell) Zhang: “Contract Renewal Incentive Effect: Is Contract Year Phenomenon Real in the NBA?” (Grubb) Louis Gleason: “Knowledge Spillovers and the International Partnership Program for Aerospace* ” (Guerron) Jakin Jeong: “A Sick Anomaly: Reevaluating the Relationship Between the Economy and the Stock Market in the Pandemic” (Ireland) Chenghan Lu: “Monetary and Fiscal Policy During Covid*” (Ireland) |
| April 13 | Yujia Shi: “How do the big tech acquisitions impact the venture capital market in the AI industry?” (Murry) Katherine (Jiayu) Yan: “What are the effects of pandemic supply chain disruption in the automotive industry?” (Murry) Julia Curtin: “Treating Two Epidemics: Mitigating OUD in Prisons with Public Policy” (Wesner) William Crowley: “Uncertainty in Inflation: What Kind of Landing Are We Heading Towards?” (McHugh) |
April 20 Note: Class starts at 8:15 a.m. | Zhuoran (Grace) Liu: “Invisible Gap: Gender Wage Differentials in Modern China” (Rutledge) Will Ortyl: “Closing the SNAP Gap: Under-Participation in SNAP Among Low-Income College Students” (Rutledge) Grace Wagner: “Barriers to Build: Procedural Requirements and Housing Development in Greater Boston” (Rutledge) Luke DeMartin: “Systematic Behavioral Biases in Major League Baseball Umpiring” (Maxwell) Haolun Huang: “Exploring Dynamic Pricing in the U.S. Rideshare Industry” (Maxwell) |
| April 25 | Dominic Cischke: “ERC-20 Cryptocurrency Market Efficiency: Investigating High-Frequency Efficiency and Ether Independence Across The Ethereum Merge” (Sanzenbacher) Katie Garrett: “Marriage Equality and the Reported LGBT Hate Crimes Rate in the United States” (Sanzenbacher) John Hayfron-Benjamin: “'Hidden diversity' An analysis of income differences between African Americans and Nigerian Americans through the first and second generations” (Sanzenbacher) Aman Sinha: “Inflation Targeting Venezuela’s Hyperinflation” (Sanzenbacher) |
| April 27 | Isabelle Bury: “Determinants of Recidivism for the Formerly Incarcerated” (Quinn) Nadia Capolino: “Working Women: Will the Long-term impacts of Covid-19 be beneficial in the fight for gender equality?” (Quinn) Andrew Pitten: “What Factors Mitigate Adverse Localized Effects of Trade Exposure with China” (Quinn) Yunhui (Sunny) Sun: “The impact of Housing Prices on Chinese Fertility Rate: Looking for Possible Solutions to China's Aging Society Problem” (Quinn) |
| April 4 | Yiqing Kuang: “Impact of Face Mask Mandates on the COVID-19 Cases in the United States” (Baum) Caitlin Hearty: “Does increased access to primary education decrease economic inequality in Costa Rica?” (Cichello) |
| April 6 | Joe Lamoureux: “Is a Helping Hand Better than an Invisible One? The Effect of Helpfulness on Employee Engagement” (Cox) John Dempsey: “Pre-Health Track Educational Disparities and Impact on Future Labor Market Outcomes” (Sankaran) Shaokai Wang: “The Invisible Hand: Political Cycles, Economics, and the Stock Market” (Ireland) |
| April 11 | Grace Tymann: “Does Minimum Wage Influence Union Votes?” (Sanzenbacher) Augusta Imperatore: “Is Inclusionary Zoning Creating the Inclusive Communities it Intends?” (Sanzenbacher) Allison Pyo: “From One-Room Schools to Graded Schools: Analyzing the Shift in Education During the Mid-1800s” (Rutledge / Higgins) |
| April 13 | Natalie Almonacid: “The Great Unequalizer: How State Responses to COVID-19 Differently Impact the Unemployment Rate of Racial and Ethnic Groups” (Sanzenbacher) Dylan Frick: “How Allowing the US to Negotiate Prescription Drug Prices Would Impact Innovation” (Sanzenbacher) Ryan Ollestad: “Improving Microloans in Developing Countries with Blockchain Technology” (Regan) |
| April 20 | Rita LaPlante: “Understanding Green Gentrification in Boston: A GIS Approach” (Maxwell) Eleana Tsiamtsiouris: “Does the Type of Lawyer Representation Really Matter? Exploring the Differences in Defendant Outcomes between Private Retained Counsel and Private Court-appointed Counsel in Criminal Cases” (Maxwell) Ryan Cattich: “Estimating the Negative Externalities of Disinformation” (Wesner) |
| April 25 | Maxwell Vogliano: “Economic Welfare: How Various Ethical Underpinnings for Calculation Affect Welfare Policy” (Quinn) Chris Bunner: “The Social Effect of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Subsidies” (Sweeney) Bryan Kim: “The ULCC Effect: How Does The Entry of Ultra-Low Cost Carriers Impact Airfares of Incumbent Airlines?” (Murry) |
| April 5 | Eugene Park: “The Relationship between Cycles and Imbalances in the Market” (Murphy) Justin Lee: "Cross-Border M&A in Emerging Markets: Differences in Innovation Spillovers by Industry" (Murphy) Yin "Elaine" Huang: “Tech Hubs and Youth Employment: Evidence from Kenya” (Cox) |
| April 7 | Minda Zhu: "The Effect of Changes in Tariff Policy Against China Under the Trump Administration on Domestic Unemployment in the U.S” (Sanzenbacher) Matt Ventrella: “Examining the Effects of Political Spending by Teacher Unions on Public Pension Funding” (Sanzenbacher) Hannah Wolfe: “Exploring the Effects of Economic Insecurity on Deaths of Despair” (Sanzenbacher) |
| April 12 | Rodrigo Ibarra Gallardo: “The Effect of Criminal Reform on Feminicides in Mexico” (Rutledge) Brendan Curry: “The Volatility of Employment and Income of Professional Musicians before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic” (Rutledge) Jason Boyle: “An Analysis of Hospital Revenues During the Course of the 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak in Massachusetts (Richardson) |
| April 14 | Xingrui "Victor" Liu: “Predicting Fed’s Decision on Adjusting Federal Funds Rate” (Ireland) Suren Akopyan: “Investigating the Reasons Behind the Underperformance of Value stocks in the Recent Decades” (Ireland) Abbie Schlageter: "Examining the Environmental Kuznet Curve in Canada’s Transport Sector" (Maxwell) |
| April 19 | Yuchuan "Grace" Peng: “Uncovering Online Retailing: Glimpsing into the Era post- COVID” (Maxwell) Matt Kraft: “Streakiness in Sports: Do Individual Players Actually Become ‘Hot’ or ‘Cold’?” (Maxwell) Will Peters: “The Vaporfly Effect: Innovation or Omitted Variables?” (Maxwell) |
| April 21 | Julia Kraus: “Gender Quotas and Firm Performance: Evidence from Germany” (Cichello) Max Bahar: “How Does Parental Migration Affect the Long Term Labor Market Outcomes of Left Behind Children?” (Cichello) Micheal Griglak: “The Effects of Venezuelan Migrants in the Colombian Informal Sector” (Cichello) |
| April 26 | Yudong "Steve" Zhang: “The US IPO market during COVID-19” (Chahrour) Dylan Agema: "Rolling the DICE on the Doughnut: The Viability of Ethical Growth" (Akin-Olcum) Geoffrey O'Malley: "The Economic Impact of Pandemics" (Quinn) |
| March 30 | Alex Eishingdrelo: “Offensive Play Calling in the NFL: Does the Run set up the Pass?” (Murphy) William Johnson: “Do Retirement Savings Plans Help Small Businesses Attract and Retain Quality Employees?” (Sanzenbacher) Jill Cusick: “Evaluating the Use of Behavioral Nudging as a Policy Tool” (Cichello) |
| April 1 | Vojtech Machytka: “Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Aspiration Therapy” (Richardson) Liam Cleary: “Primary Care Risk Score Coding’s Effect on Diabetic A1c levels and Other Healthcare Disparities” (Richardson) Miranda McDonald-Stahl: “Evaluating Addiction-Recovery Services and Barriers to Coverage Among Immigrant Populations in Boston” (Regan) |
| April 6 | Matthew Lynch: “The Impact of Student Debt on College Major Decisions” (Erbil) Joshua Jiang: “Examining Factors Predicting Recessions” (Ireland) Peixuan Huang: “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Financial Adjustment to External Imbalances” (Valchev) |
| April 15 | Michelle Kondratiev: “The Relationship Between State Minimum Wage and Educational Attainment” (Sanzenbacher) Leonid Rempel: “Monetary Policy in Virtual Economies” (Chahrour) Ziyu Fan: “Costs of Public Transportation and its Implications, a Gas Consumption Perspective” (Sweeney) |
| April 22 | Kate Peaquin: “Exploring Impacts of Sectarian Violence on Retirement Outcomes in Northern Ireland” (Rutledge) Cole Cassady: “The Effects of Changes in Hospital Profitability due to the Affordable Care on Healthcare Sector Wages” (Rutledge) Sherty Huang: “Metropolitan Migration and Effects on Minority Communities” (Cox) |
| April 27 | Noah Jussila: “Notions of Substituability in Matching Markets” (Yemnez) Jeong Yeon Cho: “Nash equilibrium analysis of the UK University Market” (Yemnez) Zoe Greenwood: “Labor Market Discrimination against Ethiopian Israelis: What role does race play?” (Cichello) |
| April 1 | Oliver Boucher: “The Effect of International Political Risk on Government Bond Pricing” (Murphy) Crystal Tian: “Impacts of Patent Expiration: Prescription Drug Price and Drug Utilization under Medicare Part D” (Richardson) |
| April 3 | Bianca Scharkowski: “Minimum Wage in Seattle Washington 2016 - 2018: What are the True Effects of this Policy Change?” (Maxwell) Elena Tori: “Effects of Women’s Education on Society in Developing Countries” (Maxwell) |
| April 8 | Margaret Andersen: “The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children’s Health and Educational Outcomes in Uganda” (Cichello) Jason Barreira: “Impact of NFL Risk Aversion on Win Maximization” (Maxwell) Jack Hammond: “Tanking in the NBA” (Maxwell) |
| April 17 | Claire Driscoll: “Attitudes Concerning Immigration in Post-Communist Europe” (Valchev) Nicholas Bergeron: “New Hampshire and Vermont: Differences in the “Hub and Spoke” Model of Opioid Treatment” (McGowan) Conor Sheehy: “Speculative Asset Bubbles & Adaptive Expectations” (Petersen) |
| April 24 | Xinyi Deng: “Pre-Holiday Equity Market Anomalies in Mainland China and Hong Kong” (Ireland) Ariana Kishfy: “The Subprime Mortgage Crisis and its Effect on Geographic Mobility” (Rutledge) Matthew Fernbach: “Predicting and Understanding the Effects of Automation on The Labor Market” (Ekmekci) |
| April 29 | Sydney Apple: “Household Bargaining in the Middle East” (Olivetti) Christy Verhoog: “Analyzing the Impact of Nigeria’s Agricultural Import Policy on Household Welfare” (Anukriti) Gwyneth Miner: “Reaping What You Sow: Conflict and Seasonal Unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Nyshadham) |
| May 1 | Melanie Qing: “Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Access to Prescription Drugs” (Grubb) Lydia Cao: “Price Elasticity and Product Substitutability in U.S. Television Advertising Market” (Mortimer) Andrew Kuna: “Factors Affecting Prison Recidivism” (Quinn) |
| April 4 | Elizabeth Kopec: “Sustainable Intergenerational Utility” (Segal) Andrea Yepez: “Understanding Differing Effects of the Oil Price Drop on Ecuador and Colombia” (Murphy) |
| April 9 | Mark Sullivan: “The Big Shortfall: The Impact of Pension Deficits on Municipal Bonds” (Rutledge) Francisco Ruela: “The Impact of Child Earnings on Retirement Expectations” (Sanzenbacher) Kyle Waters: “The Impact of Geography and Startup Team Background in Venture Capital Funding” (Cox) |
| April 18 | John Hennig: “The Effect of Quantitative Easing on Yields and Asset Prices in Financial Markets” (Ireland) Christophe Bernier: “Developing a Win Probability Model for Hockey” (Maxwell) Amy Jin: “Effects of Gender on Crowdfunding Behaviors” (Maxwell) |
| April 23 | Charles Rogan: “Private Label Entry Effect on National Brands and Food Prices” (Grubb) Jung Ho Lee: “Is the Korean Gender Gap Understated? Evidence from Korean Labor and Income Panel Study” (Olivetti) Melissa Lei: “The Effect of the One-Child Policy to Two-Children Policy in China on International Immigration” (Anukriti) |
| April 25 | Shuang Li: “Analysis of Monetary Union Failures” (Ireland) Tianhang Sun: “The Impact of Air Pollution on Infant Health in California from 1990 to 2016” (Maxwell) Erica Lindsey: “The Misguided War on Processed Food: How and How Not to Fix the American Obesity Crisis” (Quinn) |
| April 30 | Michelle Kang: “Stepping Toward Solar: The Impact of Tier Prices on Solar PV System Size” (Lewbel) Christian Wilson: “Impact of Retail Clinics On Prices for Common Physician Services” (Richardson) Audrey Setiadarma (Richardson) |
| March 30 | Russ Barnard: “The Implications for the Modern Phillips Relationship” (Murphy) Xufei Shen: “A Study of Different Factors Affecting Technology Transfer of CDM Projects in China” (Sweeney) Amin Gholizadeh: “Increasing Market Efficiency Through Machine Learning” (Murphy) [Graduated December 2016] |
| April 4 | Owen Lyons: “What Drives Renewable Energy Consumption?” (Tresch) Christopher Dalla Riva: “The Effect of Airbnb on New York City Hotels” (Tresch) Connor Tobin: “The Legal, Economic, and Financial Motivations Behind Corporate Tax Inversions” (Tresch) |
| April 6 | Xiaojie Li: “An Evaluation of the Stock Connect Programs in China” (Baum) Ana Grisanti: “Venezuela: Its Fiscal Challenges and some Policy Solutions” (Baum) Carolyn Ruh: “The Impact of Mobile Money on Savings in Uganda” (Anukriti) |
| April 11 | James Ledoux: “The Law of Concentrations of Crime at Place” (Maxwell) Nicolas Barker: “Breakdown and Analysis of Uber's Surge Pricing through Price Discrimination Theory” (Maxwell) |
| April 18 | Carlie Ladda: “M-Pesa: The Effects of Mobile Banking on Small Businesses in Kenya” (Cichello) Greta Ritzenthaler: “Child brides: The Causes and Repercussions of Early Marriage for Women in Uttar Pradesh, India” (Cichello) Lily Peng: “Gendered Effects: Analyzing the Employee/Supervisor Relationship in the IT and Healthcare Industries” (Olivetti) |
| April 20 | Byeol (Ellie) Kim: “From Education to Medical Practice: An Analysis of American Healthcare Spending” (Regan) Kanghun (Tim) Lee: “The Economic Assimilation of Migrants and Refugees in Germany” (Wagner) Kirsten Hedde: “Education Returns in Tanzania” (Nyshadham) |
| April 25 | Ryan Schnoor: “Economic Impact of Hosting the Olympics” (Quinn) Emma Dawley: “Demography in Crisis: A Cohort Analysis of Wealth and Retirement Preparedness” (Rutledge) James Ahle: “Welfare in Retirement: A Cross-Country Analysis” (Rutledge) |
| April 7 | Madison Meehan: “Division 1 Women's Soccer: Predicting NCAA Tournament Results” (Maxwell) Hyung Lee: “Analysis of the EU Emissions Trading System” (Tresch) Thomas Petricone: “Expected Education and Income Earning Ability: Determinants and Distributions” (Tresch) |
| April 12 | Andrew Ferdowsian: “A Costly Signaling Model” (Yoeli) Jeffrey Klofas: “Hedge Funds and Financial Crises: 2007-2009 Performance Characteristics” (Ireland) Samantha Pinsak: “Everything is not Sawa Sawa: Abuse and Informal Employment in Kenya” (Erbil) |
| April 14 | Maria Boria: “Human Trafficking and Natural Disasters: An Empirical Analysis” (Anukriti) John Bagamery: “A Hypothetical Universal US Sports Betting Market: Modeling the US Market Using Australian Panels” (McGowan) |
| April 19 | Sarah Black: “Superstar Effect on Professional Baseball Players' Salaries” (Maxwell) Lifeng Chen: “ The Impact of Medicaid on Health: Evidence from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment” (Maxwell) Eduardo Karotsieris: “Augmenting the Relative-Strength Momentum-Investing Strategy: Implications for the Efficience Markets Hypothesis ” (Maxwell) |
| April 21 | Andrew Lee: “Monetary Policy in Zero Rate Environments” (Murphy/Schenck) Bradley Gazdag: “Self-Checkout in Retail Costs” (Grubb) Peter Stein: “The Demand for Advertising on Television” (Mortimer) |
| April 7 | Julia Gorman: “Leglislative Staff Size and Government Spending” (Murphy) Joe Marin: “Convergence in the EU” (Murphy) Tony Freiji: “College Graduation Rates and College Sports” (Murphy) |
| April 9 | Giuliana Zaccardelli: “The Market for Prescription Drugs: A Case Study of COX-2 Inhibitors” (Regan) Andrew Millette: “The Impact of Population Characteristics on the Effectiveness of United States Health Care Exchanges” (Regan) |
| April 14 | Andrew Skaras: “Long-term Interest Rates in the Euro Zone” (Petersen) George Jiranek: “Canadian-U.S. Border Effects on Pricing in the Gasoline Market” (Strasser) Paul Davey: “The Economic and Cultural Impact of Germany's Hartz IV Reforms” (Beauchamp, Economics and Resler, German Studies) |
| April 16 | Steven Wagner: “Privatization of Prisons” (McGowan) Anders Grorud: “Primary Care and Walmart” (Cichello) Jaime Fellers: “Financial Education and Microfinance” (Cichello) |
| April 21 | Angela Petrone: “Health Care Reform in China” (Rutledge, Li) Daniel Neagu: “Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions in Pharmaceuticals on Drug Innovation, Healthcare Costs, and Labor Markets” (Grubb) John Beyer: “Pay for Delay” (Grubb) |
| April 23 | Sean Dvorak: “Peer Effects in the NHL” (Maxwell) Clara Dawley: “The Oregon Health Experiment: The Effect of Health Insurance on Public Health” (Maxwell) Lea Oriol: “Environmental Regulation and Innovation” (Maxwell) |
| April 28 | Sean McBride: “Uber and Taxi Medallions” (Quinn) Collin Anderson: “TV Ads and Competing Firms” (Mortimer) Trevor Graney: “Divestiture in an Experimental Framework of Merger Evaluation” (Mortimer) |
| April 10 | Alison Wawrzynek: “Entrepreneurship in Post-Reunification Germany” (Baum) Jordan Kelleher: “Predicting Pay-Per-View Numbers for UFC Events” (McGowan) John Morrison: “The 2008 Financial Crisis: Deregulation’s Impact on Ethical Behavior” (McGowan) |
| April 15 | Brandt Davies: “Explaining Trends in American Inequality” (Tresch) Shawn Quinn: “Congestion Tax in New York City: A Progressive or Regressive Tax? (Tresch) |
| April 22 | Nicolas Doering: “Consumption and Happiness” (Beauchamp) |
| April 24 | Caitlin Hegarty: “Misreported Data and Money Demand: The Case of Argentina” (Ireland) John Sherman: “The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) and Speculative Bubbles: A Theoretical Analysis of Divergence in Mainstream Economic Thought” (Petersen) |
| April 9 | Adam Rohde: “Do Consumers Overweight Energy and Food Prices in Expectations of Inflation?” (Murphy) Eric Parolin: “Fiscal and Monetary Policies over the Political Cycle” (Murphy) |
| April 11 | Colleen Sinnott: “The Medical Brain-Drain in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Cox) Kevin Morris: “Remittance Flows to Latin America” (McGowan) |
| April 16 | Daniel Adams: “Who's to Gain, and Who's to Blame: The Expected Value of Strikes and Lockouts in Professional Sports Leagues” (Maxwell) |
| April 18 | Tian Tan: “Role of Capital Controls in A vs. H Share Discount” (Dvir) Elizabeth Raymond: “Child Labor in India: Education and Its Effects” (Fulford) Ace Pidoriano: “Social Media and Stock Market Movements” (Maxwell) |
| April 23 | Anne Pemberton: “Government Regulation in the Cell Phone Industry” (Gollop) Andrew Choi: “Effects of Taxation on the Income Distribution” (Tresch) Ryan Giannotto: “The Economic Costs of Remediating Dyslexia: A Cost-Benefit Analysis to the Individual and Society” (Strasser) |
| April 25 | Katherine McKenna: “Global Housing Booms and Bubbles” (Petersen) Garred Greenberg: “Health Care Reform” (Kraus) Roger Larach: “Determinants of Mergers and Acquisitions in Latin America” (Taillard) |
| April 10 | John Anderson: “The Role of Governance in Explaining Income Differences Across Countries” (Murphy) Mark Cloutier: “Rethinking the Phillips Curve: A Study of Recent Inflation Dynamics in the G-7” (Murphy) Ross Tremblay: “NFL Ticket Demand: The Movement of Prices in the Secondary Market” (Maxwell) |
| April 12 | Mike Fernandes: “Excitement Factors in Team Success: A Comparison Across Major Professional Sports Leagues” (Murphy) Steven Schmitt: “Private Equity Investment in Brazil: Interest Rates and Other Key Determinants of Dealflow” (McGowan) |
| April 17 | Gabe Stacy: “The Business Cycle, the Technology Bubble, and the ‘New Economy’ of the 1990’s” (McGowan) Mark Zimowski: “The Effect of Rising College Tuition Costs on College Demographics” (McGowan) Kieran Mara: “A Statistical Analysis of Municipal Bond Yield Anomalies” (Petersen) |
| April 19 | Hanyin Cheng: “Pseudo - Endowment Effect in Penny Auctions” (Maxwell) Margaret Connolly: “Mid-Level Providers: Limiting the Trade-Off between Quality and Cost in Health Care” (Maxwell) Ben Stroud: “Effects of High-Frequency Trading on Intraday Volatility of DJIA Components” (Maxwell) |
| April 24 | Sam Hocking: “Money and Banking with Chinese Characteristics” (Ghironi) Tara Sullivan: “The Political Economy of Monetary Disunion” (Ghironi) John Maney: “Bank Liquidity during the 1893 Panic and Other Financial Crises” (Fulford) |
| April 26 | Lauren Marra: “The Effectiveness of Post-Crisis U.S. Government Policy: A Look at Prices Across Asset Markets” (Ireland) Ryan DiStefano: “Examining the Economic Impact of Patent Trolls and Patent Infringement Litigation” (Mortimer) Collin Currao: “Potential Benefits of Legalizing Internet Gambling” (McGowan) |
| April 7 | Frances Schwiep: “The Performance of Ex-Offenders in the Labor Market” (Maxwell) Ashley Le Zhang: “Moral Hazard in Post Financial Crisis Refinance” (Maxwell) Sjur Hoftun: “The Repercussions of Title IX on Small-Time Men's Sports” (Maxwell) |
| April 12 | Sean Macdonald: “Allocating Scarce Resources: A Look Inside the NFL Salary Cap” (Maxwell) Chanqing Huang: “Is the U.S Trade Deficit to China Caused by Renminbi’s Undervaluation?” (Dvir) |
| April 14 | Rob Galligan: “American Wheat Subsidies Effects on World Exports” (McGowan) Cliff Baratta: “The Effects of Fair Trade on Household Incomes for Coffee Farmers” (McGowan) Nicholas Franco: “Microfinance and Growth in Latin America” (McGowan) |
| April 19 | Alvaro Zapatel: “Microfinance and Property: A Comparative Analysis of Economic Development in Peru and Guatemala” (McGowan) Michael Gordon: “Examining the Sources and Costs of Funding Urban Mass Transit: A Case Study of Six Major Urban Transit Systems” (McGowan Kevin Schuster: “The Status and Determinants of Women's Health in America” (McGowan) |
| April 26 | Lesley Zhixing Huang: “Cost-Effectiveness of Electricity Energy Efficiency Programs: Demand-Side Management’s (DSM) Future Role in Energy Markets And Feasibility of DSM-technology Transfer to China and Eastern Europe” (Fulford) Claire Ruffing: “Determined to Hope: A Comparative Policy Analysis of Microfinance in Africa” (Fulford) Kathleen Iannone: “Green Skies: Effects of Environmental Taxation on the U.S. Domestic Airline Industry” (Gollop) |
| April 28 | Daniel Belton: “The Credit Market During the Financial Crisis” (Baum) Luke Fernandes: “Comparative Analysis of Exchange Rate Pass Through in Large versus Small Economies” (Strasser) Evan Waters: “The Financial Crises: An Event-based Investigation of Inflation Risk Premiums” (Ireland) |
| April 15 | Kevin Walton: "The Mystery of Governance: Its Direct and Indirect Impact on Economic Growth" (Murphy) James Mack: "The Resource Curse and Macroeconomic Policy" (Murphy) Cecelia McDonald: "When the Tide Goes Out: Executive Compensation, Leverage, and Firm Performance in a Recession" (Petersen) |
| April 20 | Kyle Butler: "An Analysis of Gambling Expansion in Massachusetts: Structure and Payoffs" (McGowan) Jonathan Pike: "The Behavioral Economics of Energy Efficiency Measures" (McGowan) Steven Twomey: "The State of the Beer Excise Tax: An Examination of States' Motivations for Excise Taxation Policies on Beer" (McGowan) |
| April 22 | Joseph Duggan: "The Problem of Abortion: A Social Choice Analysis" (Segal) Michael Stork: "A Gatekeeper's Guide to Economic Evidence in Tying Law" (Ireland) Vishal Mahadkar: "The Feldstein and Horioka Puzzle: A Mark of Financial Strength and Opportunity, Not Immobility" (Strasser) |
| April 27 | Michael Polark: "A Structural Break in the Colombian Coca Market" (Dvir) Andrew Steck: "Examining the Role of Risk Appetite in a Financial Economy" (Petersen) Jeffery Zhang: "Fiscal Policy Coordination after a Financial Crisis" (Ghironi) |
| April 29 | Ryan Beck: "Effects of Environmental Regulation on Innovation Decisions" (Konishi) Jason Adams: "The NBA's Revenue Sharing Scorecard: Determinants of Financial Success for Small Market Franchises" (Maxwell) Sarah Wiewel: "Is the BCS Worth All the Fuss? The Impact on Revenues if Division I-A College Football Implemented a Post-Season Playoff System" (Maxwell) |
| April 7 | Trevor Stuart: "Corporate Governance and its Effects on Shareholder Returns" (Petersen) Discussant: Andrew Straub |
| April 14 | Andrew Straub: "How Coupled are Emerging Markets with Developed Markets?" (Petersen) Jeff Sun: "Non-Normal Distributions for Portfolio Returns" (Baum) Discussants: Joy Batra and Tom Quan |
| April 16 | Joy Batra: "Why Do Mutual Funds Advertise?" (Murphy) Tom Quan: "American Tribal Religion: An Analysis of Tribal Isolationism in the Fan Bases of the Four Major U.S. Sports Leagues" (Maxwell) Discussants: Trevor Stuart and Jeff Sun |
| April 21 | Michelle Lamy: "Non-Market Contributions to Output Across Countries" (Seitz) Ryan O'Neil: "The Effect of Women's Education on Growth" (Seitz) Discussants: Jeff Renshaw and Lauren Evangelista |
| April 23 | Jeff Renshaw: "Solar Power: Electricity Generation and Government Incentives" (Dalton/Gollop) Lauren Evangelista: "The Effect of Ethanol Use on the Prices of Corn and Gasoline" (Gollop) Discussants: Michelle Lamy and Ryan O'Neil |