Home

Announcements for Friday, May 6, 2011

Announcements

  • Summer hours for 260-266 Heady Hall

    260-266 Heady Hall will observe summer hours starting Monday, May 9.  We will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily.  We will resume regular hours (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) on Monday, August 15, 2011.

  • New graduate student profile feature on website

    We've added a new profile feature to the home page and graduate section of the website. To better promote the department and its opportunities for graduate students, we wanted to connect the work to real people - thus the profiles. Grad students Alicia Rosburg, Jerome Dumortier, Huan Zhao, and Abhishek Somani have all offered their stories and likeness - they were great to work with, and we feel they represent the department extremely well!


    Please enjoy this new addition, and we'll look forward to hearing your feedback.

News

  • Distinguished external panel conducts department review

    The department underwent an external review of its academic programs this week from Monday, May 2 through Wednesday, May 4th.  This academic review is a normal procedure at Iowa State University, where programs are reviewed on a regular cycle. A team of six distinguished economists from other insitutions met with department faculty, staff, and students in a series of fact-finding sessions designed to provide a comprehensive perspective of the department ‘s strengths and challenges. They also had opportunities to meet with members of the university administration.


    In a final open session on Wednesday, panel members presented their collective perspective on various ways the department can adapt and strengthen in order to address current and future challenges. Their findings will be presented in a formal concluding document yet to be released.


    Members of the review team included (from left to right): Scott Irwin (University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign), Preston McAfee (Yahoo! Research), Barbara Wolfe (University of Wisconsin - Madison), Richard Sexton (University of California – Davis), Mark Roberts (Pennsylvania State University), Larry Karp (University of California – Berkeley). Also present in the photo is Department Chair GianCarlo Moschini.


  • Dedicated hall honors department history and achievements

    The recent installation of the Department of Economics “Hall of Honor” is designed to celebrate the history and accomplishments of department faculty.

    The hall displays two series of portraits which include faculty honored as Distinguished and University Professors, considered Iowa State University’s highest honors. Each honoree's portrait is presented with an accompanying plaque that details their contributions to the discipline of economics and to the university.

    The Distinguished Professor series begins with Earl O. Heady, who received the award in 1956. Other individuals featured include Karl A. Fox, John F. Timmons, Neil E. Harl, C. Phillip Baumel, Wayne A. Fuller, George W. Ladd, Dudley G. Luckett, Stanley R. Johnson, Todd M. Sandler, and Wallace E. Huffman.

    The University Professor series begins with current faculty member Harvey E. Lapan, who first received the award in 1993. Other individuals featured include Walter Enders, Robert N. Wisner, and Peter Orazem.

    The Department of Economics Hall of Honor is open to the public, and is located on the third floor of Heady Hall. As faculty receive future awards, new portraits will be added to the

  • Phi Beta Kappa awardees honored

    Ten undergraduate economics majors were awarded Phi Beta Kappa honors on May 1 in the Sun Room at the Memorial Union. Those awardees include juniors Samuel Bird and Ziran Li, and seniors Andrew Krog, Michael Lee, Lanting Li, Matthew Ong, Samuel Pudenz, Brittney Shaull, Joseph Stinn, Michael Vosseller.


    Matthew Ong, a double major in economics and political science, received the 2011 Jerry Shakeshaft Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship for excellence in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Provost Elizabeth Hoffman, a Department of Economics faculty member, was inducted as an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa.


    Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious honorary society in the United States with a history dating back to its founding at the College of William and Mary in 1776. Phi Beta Kappa honorees must be in the top 2% of their class, and also show strength and breadth in their academic program.


    Pictured in the photo from left to right is Provost Elizabeth Hoffman, Andrew Krog, Associate Dean Arne Hallam, Michael Lee, Peter Orazem, Ziran Li, Brittney Schaull, Matthew Ong.


     


     

  • EGSA VEISHEA picnic photos

    Enjoy photos of the recent VEISHEA weekend EGSA picnic. Click on the photo right to view the gallery.

  • Monday's Department Seminar: "The Effects of Environmental Regulation on the Competitiveness of US Maufacturing," with Chad Syverson, University of Chicago

    Chad Syverson's research spans several topics, with a particular focus on the interactions of firm structure, market structure, and productivity. His work has been published in several top journals and has earned several National Science Foundation Awards, Olin Foundation Grants, and a Brookings Dissertation Fellowship. Syverson is an associate editor of the Rand Journal of Economics, an editorial board member of the B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Productivity, Industrial Organization, Environmental and Energy Economics, and EFG Programs. He also serves on the board of the Chicago Census Research Data Center. Prior to these appointments, Syverson was a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and a mechanical engineer co-op for Loral Defense Systems and Unisys Corporation.


    Abstract: Whether and to what extent environmental regulations influence the competitiveness of firms remains a hotly debated issue. Using detailed production data from tens of thousands of U.S. manufacturing plants drawn from Annual Survey of Manufactures, we estimate the effects of environmental regulations—captured by the Clean Air Act Amendments’ division of counties into pollutant-specific nonattainment and attainment categories—on manufacturing plants’ total factor productivity (TFP) levels. We find that among surviving polluting plants, a nonattainment designation is associated with a roughly 2.6 percent decline in TFP. The regulations governing ozone have particularly discernable effects on productivity, though effects are also seen among particulates and sulfur dioxide emitters. Carbon monoxide nonattainment, on the other hand, appears to increase measured TFP, though this appears to be concentrated among refineries. When we apply corrections for two likely sources of positive bias in these estimates (price mismeasurement and sample selection on survival), we estimate that the total TFP loss for polluting plants in nonattaining counties is 4.8 percent. This corresponds to an annual lost output in the manufacturing sector of roughly $14.7 billion in 1987 dollars ($24.4 billion in 2009 dollars).

  • Weekly media connections for the Department of Economics

    Courtesy of Jackie King, ISU News Service

    • Dave Swenson did an interview Friday with Jennifer Jacobs, a reporter with The Des Moines Register, asking about the consequences of the Maytag shutdown in terms of job and income losses, and whether charitable giving should have been relied on to offset the losses.  This is related to a story that Donald Trump made donations or provided assistance to three families in Newton following the plant closing. He also was interviewed Friday by Trent Rice, News Director, KASI,  on energy prices and their cause. And he was also interviewed Friday by Angie Hunt, Ames correspondent, KCCI-TV on energy prices, their cause, and the outlook for the summer.
    • Mike Duffy spoke with Dan Piller of the DM Register regarding women land owners and the aging population of land owners.
    • An update of an earlier analysis at CARD of the effect of ethanol on gasoline prices has received some attention. The report, by Xiaodong Du, U of Wisconsin, and Dermot Hayes, ISU professor of economics, has been covered by the Western Farm Press, DomesticFuel.com, Ethanol Producer Magazine, and the New York Times in the Business Day section. Mike LePorte of KRVN Rural Radio (Lexington, NE) e-mailed to arrange an interview. He was given contact information for Xiaodong Du, who is the lead author.
    • Chad Hart, assistant professor of economics and grain markets specialist, talked to Phillip Brasher of the Des Moines Register about perennial grains and alternative biofuels. He also talked to Andrea Johnson of the Minnesota Farm and Range Guide about crop prices. And he talked to Dirck Steimel, news services manager of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, for an article on extreme market volatility and how important marketing plans are for producers.
    • Bruce Babcock, professor of economics and director of CARD, spoke to David Mercer of the Associated Press about worries concerning possible weather-related delays in corn crop planting.
    • Western Farm Press covered an analysis by Professor Dermot Hayes and his co-author that updated their previous study about the effect of ethanol on gas prices.

Graduate Student Announcements

  • EconCon 2011 - Graduate Economics Conference at NYU
  • Deadline May 31 for Iowa Pork Foundation Fellowship Applications

    Thanks to the generosity of the Iowa Pork Foundation, the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is pleased to announce a graduate fellowship in the amount of $2500. This fellowship is designed to provide support to a student studying at the MS or PhD level in the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who is conducting thesis or dissertation research related to the pork industry.

    Applicants must be:1) majoring in the areas of Animal Science, Agricultural Economics, Food Science, Microbiology, Agricultural Engineering or other related disciplines that contribute to the pork industry, 2) US citizens, 3) able to demonstrate financial need.

    Completed applications will include:

    1) a cover letter stating:

    a. the research topic being pursued

    b. the planned use of the funds (to attend a professional meeting, assist with publication costs, etc.)

    c. an indication of what support the student is already receiving

    2) a copy of the applicant’s vita

    3) an endorsement by the applicant’s major professor.

    Completed applications are due by May 31, 2011, and should be emailed to: David Acker, Associate Dean for Academic and Global Programs, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Iowa State University, dacker@iastate.edu

    The winner will be selected and notified during July. The award will be made during the Fall semester by the Iowa Pork Foundation. Please note that the fellowship awardee must be present at the Iowa Pork Congress Auction & Scholarship reception in late January 2012, to be held in Des Moines. After receiving the fellowship the awardee is required to submit to the Iowa Pork Foundation a report to include information on the awardee's future career plans and plans for utilizing the Iowa Pork Foundation fellowship.

  • Central Bank of Turkey -- Summer Internship Program 2011

    The Central Bank of Turkey is currently accepting applications for the 2011 summer internship program. Applications must be received no later than  May 20, 2011. The purpose of the program is to attract candidates who would like to conduct research on macroeconomic and/or financial aspects of the Turkish economy. A typical summer internship lasts 6 to 12 weeks and takes place sometime in between June and September.

    To be eligible for the Summer Internship Program, candidates must be enrolled in a full time Ph.D. program in Economics or Finance, and must have already completed their coursework and working towards their dissertation. Moreover, we expect candidates to submit a draft paper regarding an ongoing project that they expect to complete during their residency at the Central Bank of Turkey.

    Interns will receive an economy class roundtrip airfare to Ankara, Turkey from their universities, a monthly allowance of Turkish lira (TL) equivalent of 700 US Dollars per month, medical insurance and accommodation.

    Applications must feature a recent resume, at least one letter of recommendation and a draft research paper. Materials must be sent to the following address:

    Mrs. İlknur Dumanlı, Research and Monetary Policy Department, Central Bank of Turkey

    Istiklal Cd. No: 10, Ulus  (06100), ANKARA/TURKEY

    E-mail: ilknur.dumanli@tcmb.gov.tr

Conferences and Calls for Papers

  • CALL FOR PAPERS: NBES MARCH 2012 HAWAII CONFERENCE
  • [AAEA CENET] Reminder: Nat'l Conference on Rural Wealth Creation and Livelihoods

    The Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Ford Foundation are convening a National Conference on Rural Wealth Creation and Livelihoods, October 3 - 5, 2011, in Washington, D.C.  “Wealth” can be considered to include a broad range of assets that contribute to human well-being, including physical, natural, financial, human, intellectual, social, political and cultural capital. Fostering wealth creation that leads to improved livelihoods in rural America is a top priority for USDA and for many regional, state and local research and development initiatives. The conference will bring together researchers, rural development practitioners and policy-makers who are working on regional and rural development issues to discuss and facilitate a common understanding of:

    • What do “wealth” and “wealth creation” mean?
    • What works, where, and why – or why not – to promote wealth creation that improves rural livelihoods?
    • How can regional policies and programs contribute to wealth creation that sticks in rural areas?
    • How can we measure rural wealth creation progress, maintenance and outcomes?

    The conference is also intended to begin to develop a practical, results-relevant dialog among the research, practitioner and policy communities and a community of practice focused on rural wealth creation and livelihoods.

    All those interested in attending the conference are requested to apply by responding to the Call for Participation, which has links to the application.  Use this link to access the call:

    www.aspencsg.org/rdp/resources/ERS11/WealthCreationConferenceCall.pdf

    The application asks interested participants to outline their interest in attending, including an abstract of any research findings, program stories, policy ideas, or burning questions they can contribute to the knowledge exchange at the conference.  Applications to attend the conference are due by May 15, 2011.  The application also offers the opportunity to apply for some of the limited scholarship funds available to attend the conference.

    If you have difficulty accessing the Call for Participation or application, or have questions about the conference, please contact John Pender (jpender@ers.usda.gov) or Alex Marré (amarre@ers.usda.gov) at the Economic Research Service.

  • Call for Papers -- the Making of the Great Plains

Funding Opportunities

  • Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program

    $50,000 to $300,000, Due date: July 1, 2011

    Many individuals and families living in rural areas and communities, including farm families, experience disparities in health care services. Challenged by low levels of employment and education, geographic barriers and isolation, lack of quality health education and health-promoting activities, and accessible health care services, rural residents are more likely than non-rural residents to report a fair to poor health status and have higher rates of health complications, morbidity and mortality. Negative health behaviors and familial, social and environmental risk factors experienced by children and adults alike underlie such chronic health conditions as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. In addition, the opportunity to receive health information or engage in health promotion activities is limited and, when available, may not be appropriate for the diverse populations living in rural areas. The Rural Health and Safety Education Programs will focus on issues related to individual and family health.

    For FY 2011, the Rural Health and Safety Education Programs will focus on issues related to individual and family health in one or more of the following areas:

    1) Analysis or education regarding the impact of societal factors (e.g., income, education, unemployment/employment security, social exclusion, food security/insecurity, housing quality, health insurance coverage) on health among rural and farm families;

    2) Analysis or education regarding health literacy or health disparities in access and usage of health services or of health conditions and their respective impact on health status of rural and farm families; and/or

    3) Related issues of health promotion and health care to rural individuals and families with:

    • Information as to the value of good health at any age;
    • Information to increase individual or family’s motivation to take more responsibility for their own health;
    • Information about and access to health promotion and educational activities; and
    • Training for volunteers and health services providers concerning health promotion and health care services for individuals and families in cooperation with local and community partners.