Letter from the Department Chair
Greetings! Welcome to our 2017 Newsletter. I am happy to report that the Economics Department at MSU continues to thrive and grow to meet the educational needs of students and to carry out world class research. Graduates with degrees in economics continue to be in high demand, especially as the labor market for new college graduates continues to strengthen. There was a recent article in the New York Times about lifetime earnings based on college major. Economics ranked second behind chemical engineering. It is no surprise that the economics major remains popular and large at MSU.
Undergraduate Awards
Each year, over 400 men and women graduate MSU with degrees in economics, and each year the Department of Economics honors the best and brightest of these economics students during an awards reception held at the close of the spring semester. All of the students recognized at this year’s reception compiled excellent academic records in their economics courses and most participated in the department’s Econ Scholars program, designed to enrich the experience of our best undergraduate students.
Faculty Profile: Schott Imberman, Economist and Expert on Education Policy
Although the effort to improve the quality of education in America dates back to the 1800s, it is only in recent decades that economics has been seen as a social science that could play an important part in that effort. It was in recognition of the growing ability of economists to contribute to the development of innovative and effective education policies that the Department of Economics teamed up with MSU’s College of Education in 2012 to hire Scott Imberman, an economist with a strong record of producing high quality research on education and education policy. Since coming to MSU, Prof. Imberman has continued to build his reputation as a leading expert on education.
New Faculty Members
Two new assistant professors, Dr. Ben Bushong and Dr. Ajin Lee, joined the faculty of the economics department this fall. Read their profiles.
Economics Faculty Member Honored with College of Social Science Teaching Award
Todd Elder, Associate Professor of Economics, was chosen as the winner of the 2017 College of Social Science Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award. This came as no surprise to his colleagues on the economics faculty, as Todd has established a reputation as one of the best teachers in a department known for its commitment to quality teaching.
The Economics Ph.D. Program: Training the Next Generation of Research Economics
Ph.D. students Alyssa Carlson and Katherine Harris: Winners of the 2017 Excellence-in-Teaching Citation
The mission of MSU’s economics Ph.D. program has changed little over the years: training future economists, the people who can do original economic research and teach economics at a high level. Also, the Ph.D. program plays an essential role in the department’s undergraduate teaching mission, as Ph.D. students serve as teaching assistants in and occasionally lead instructors of undergraduate classes. However, the competitive environment that our doctoral students face when looking for their first jobs has been changing in recent years, and so too have been the teaching demands placed on the department.Donate Now
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