The Senior Program

The Senior Project in economics can be satisfied either by a project in a designated 500 level course or by a Senior Thesis. Projects require a paper or a series of papers demonstrating a mastery of advanced methods, an understanding of the scholarly literature on a topic or an understanding of the evolution of important issues in the discipline. The Senior Thesis is a written report of an original research project undertaken in the department's Research Seminar (Economics 560). Students participating in this seminar make a number of presentations of their work in progress during the semester and usually submit their theses to the department for consideration for department honors. On several occasions, these theses have become the basis for collaborative work with faculty supervisors that has resulted in  publications in professional journals.

Recent projects in economics include:

Honors presentations

• Analyzing the Impact of Natural Disasters on U.S. Political Polarization
• Beyond the Frontmen? How Provincial Leadership Team Characteristics Shape China's Local Economic Growth
• Can Children's Mental Health Be Improved by Changes in Physical Education Time Requirements?
• Did COVID-19 Magnify a Collective Preference for Naturally Habitable Places? A Study of Post-Pandemic Migration to High-Amenity U.S. Counties
• Does Bilingualism on Resumes Affect Callback Rates?
• Examining the Effects of Renewable Energy Buildout on Unemployment and Economic Growth Across U.S. Counties
• Exploring the Relationship Between Relative Income and Happiness Across Life Stages
• Foul Play? Examining Commonality and Favoritism in Soccer Referees
• Generosity Across Generations: Examining the Influence of Age and Perceived Need on Intergenerational Giving in the Dictator Game
• Impact of Legalized Sports Betting on Bankruptcy Rates
• Impact of the Aspirational Districts Program on Learning Outcomes in India
• Invisible Chemicals, Visible Consequences: Uncovering the Effects of PFAS Regulation on U.S. Population Cholesterol Levels
• Medicaid Expansion and Preventive Health Care Utilization Among Women: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act
• Measuring National Success: A Look into Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness
• Mines, Markets, and Margins: Analyzing the Socioeconomic Impacts of Mineral Exports in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Network Centrality and Rent Price Capitalization Along the Washington D.C. Metro: Silver Line Phase I as a Case Study
• Pharma Takes a Dive: Comparing Patent Cliffs of Biologics and Small Molecules
• Penalty or Power Play: Examining the Influence of Income Tax Rates on NHL Free Agent Salaries
• Private Equity in U.S. Hospitals: Examining the Impact on Access to Care and Financial Performance
• Steering the Market: Common Ownership and Competition in the Automotive Industry
• Storm Signals: How Hurricanes Reshape U.S. Inflation Expectations and Their Uncertainty Across Demographics
• Suboptimal Asset Allocation: Demographic Determinants and Predictive Modeling of U.S. Households’ Portfolio Inefficiencies
• The Cost of Origin: Analyzing Transfer Premiums by Nationality
• The Entry of WellNow Urgent Care Clinics and Its Differential Effect on Reported Health Outcomes
• The Impact of Merit-Based Incentive Payment System on Patient Satisfaction
• The Impact of Route Overlap in Airline Mergers on Ticket Prices: A Case Study of the American Airlines & US Airways Merger (2013)
• The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Mothers Versus Fathers
• The Secret to Public Sector Success: Understanding Cross-Country Variation in SOE Performance
• Too Close for Comfort? The Effects of Proximity on Views of Nuclear Energy
• Ws and Donations: Examining How Athletic Success Impacts Giving at Division One Schools
• Work on Your Terms? Autonomy, Satisfaction, and Well-Being in Nonstandard Employment
• Using Adolescent Marijuana Use and Alcohol and Marijuana Use to Predict Behavioral Problems and Labor Market Outcomes
• Museums and Mental Health: Estimating the Effects of Art Museum Presence on Depression Among Older Adults Using a Historical Panel (1982–1993)