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Announcements for Friday, February 22, 2013

Announcements

  • Economics Club meeting – Thursday, February 28

    Join the Economics Club for a meeting on Thursday,February 28, 7pm in Ross Hall 0131. Free soda and pizza provided. Dr. Peter Orazem is the guest speaker, who will discuss his research on Africa. More information about Orazem's work at: Http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_15387c3e-2ed6-11e2-8f61-0019b...

  • Alpha Kappa Delta Auction

    The 2013 Alpha Kappa Delta auction will occur on Wed Feb 20th, Thu Feb 21st, and Fri Feb 22nd from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in room 311 East Hall.

    Donations include Godinger Crystal, Blenko Glass, framed pictures, items from Big Sky Bread Company, jackets, collectable rocks, and many other items. Please stop by to check out what is available.

    Money raised from the auction will go towards the AKD scholarship, which will be given out at the banquet in April.

News

  • Grad student Ge receives Brown Graduate Fellowship

    Jiaqi Ge is a fourth year graduate student in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University, and is the recent recipient of the Brown Graduate Fellowship. Ge will receive $10,000 to partially fund her graduate studies and current research.

    The focus of the Brown Graduate Fellowship is to strategically advance ISU research in the areas of study which include science, agriculture, and space science. Graduate students who show a high level of excellence in both their studies and research are those chosen for the fellowship.

    Ge has been working on an array of topics including water quality management with Professor Cathy Kling, and the use of agent-based computational economics (ACE) to analyze both electric power and housing markets with Professor Leigh Tesfatsion.

    “Ge is a very special young scientist: a quick and eager learner, enthusiastically engaged in her research, and excited about her potential career,” said Tesfatsion, Ge’s major professor.

    “I feel very fortunate and very grateful for this opportunity,” said Ge. “My entire experience here in the department and at ISU has been such a positive one.”

  • Swenson editorial on Principal Financial's plans for renovation

    Read the latest Des Moines Register editorial by Dave Swenson, associate scientist with the Department of Economics, discussing Principal Financial's recent plans for a multimillion dollar building renovation. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013302140070

  • Ag Decision Maker, February edition available online
  • Monday's Department Seminar: Peter Arcidiacono, Duke University

    "University Differences in the Graduation of Minorities in STEM Fields: Evidence from California," with Peter Arcidiacono, Duke University, Monday, February 25, 4:10 PM-5:30 PM, 368A Heady Hall.


    Peter Arcidiacono is a full professor at Duke University. Arcidiacono's two main lines of work are on affirmative action in higher education and estimation of dynamic discrete choice models. Arcidiacono has investigated how affirmative action in admissions affects future earnings, college attendance rates, inter-racial interaction, and the match between the student and the school. Arcidiacono has also developed tools to facilitate estimation of dynamic discrete choice models. Arcidiacono is a co-editor at the Journal of Labor Economics.



    Abstract: The low number of college graduates with science degrees - particularly among underrepresented minorities - is of growing concern. We examine differences across universities in graduating students in different fields. Using student-level data on the University of California system during a period in which racial preferences were in place, we show significant sorting into majors based on academic preparation, with science majors ateach campus having on average stronger credentials than their non-science counterparts.Students with relatively weaker academic preparation are significantly more likely to leave the sciences and take longer to graduate at each campus. We show the vast majority of minority students would be more likely to graduate with a science degree and graduate in less time had they attended a lower ranked university. Similar results do not apply for non-minority students.

  • Friday's Department Seminar: James Cox, Georgia State University

    "Status Quo Effects in Fairness Games: Reciprocal Responses to Acts of Commission vs. Acts of Omission," with James Cox, Georgia State University, Friday, March 1, 3:40 PM-5 PM, 368A Heady Hall.

    James C. Cox is Noah Langdale Jr. Chair in Economics, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and Director of the Experimental Economics Center at Georgia State University. He was president of the Economic Science Association (1997-99) and president of the Southern Economic Association (2010-11). His research has been supported by many grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and other organizations. Professor Cox has published research in many areas of theoretical and applied economics including, most especially, experimental economics. His current work includes research on: (a) trust, reciprocity and altruism; (b) public goods and common pool resources; (c) decisions under risk; and (d) decision- making in healthcare.

    Abstract: Both the law and culture make a central distinction between acts of commission that overturn the status quo and acts of omission that uphold it. In everyday life acts of commission often elicit stronger reciprocal responses than do acts of omission. In this paper we compare reciprocal responses to both types of acts and ask whether behavior of subjects in two experiments is consistent with existing theory. The design of the experiments focuses on the axioms of revealed altruism theory (Cox, Friedman, and Sadiraj, 2008) that make it observationally distinct from other theories. We find support for this theory in both experiments.

  • Weekly Media Connections for the Department of Economics

    Lee Schulz spoke with Brianna Jett, The Daily Iowan, regarding cattle and beef prices. He also spoke with France's Myers, Iowa State Daily, regarding Russia's decision to stop importing US meet that contains ractopamine; and Steve Meyer, Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman, regarding the 2013 calf crop and anticipated cattle supplies.Dave Swenson spoke with Dick Lehman, WHO, regarding the potential for inflation to increase.

Graduate Student Announcements

Conferences and Calls for Papers

  • [NAAEA] [AAEA Risk Analysis] ARA Section Award for Outstanding Contribution to Applied Risk Analysis

    The Applied Risk Analysis (ARA) section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is soliciting nominations for the annual ARA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Applied Risk Analysis. The award will be presented at the ARA business meeting during the 2012 AAEA annual meeting.

    Nominations should be submitted electronically to ARA section chair, Rod M. Rejesus by April 1, 2013 at rod_rejesus@ncsu.edu. An ad hoc committee of three ARA members (who are not nominees) appointed by the section chair will select the award recipient.

    Rules for the award are as follows:

    1. A journal article or a professional report may be nominated. Books will not be considered.
    2. Entries must have been published during the 2012 calendar year.
    3. At least one author must be a member of the ARA section of the AAEA at the time the entry is nominated.
    4. The general theme of the paper must address one of the following areas: production risk, market risk, financial risk, consumer risk, risk theory, risk analysis methods, risk transfer, or a closely related topic.
    5. Nominations will consist of a letter and an electronic copy of the manuscript (article or report). The letter should briefly describe the manuscript and explain why it merits recognition by the ARA.
    6. Self-nominations are allowed and encouraged.

Funding Opportunities

Job Opportunities

  • Leadership vacancies at ERS

    The Economic Research Service (ERS) of USDA has two Senior Leadership vacancies that we’d like to call to your attention: 1. Associate Director, Resource and Rural Economics Division; 2. Branch Chief, International Demand and Trade Branch, Markets and Trade Economics Division

    ERS serves as the economic research and policy analytical arm of the USDA. The mission of ERS is to provide economic and social science information and analysis for public and private decisions regarding agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America. To learn more, please visit www.ers.usda.gov.

    Critical to one's success in these roles will be: An advanced degree; Intellectual leadership within the fields of economics or statistics; Proven ability to lead a top quality, multidisciplinary group of researchers

    Details on each position are provided below: The Economic Research Service (ERS) seeks an Associate Director responsible for coordination and oversight of planning, development, and review of the Resource and Rural Economics Division (RRED) program of research, analysis and data development. The Resource and Rural Economics Division (RRED) focuses on the uses of resources by agriculture, the impact of agriculture on the environment and rural areas, incomes earned from agricultural activity and the effect of earnings and policy on the value of agricultural assets, as well as demographic and economic trends in the farm and nonfarm rural economy. Responsibilities in this position incorporate all subject matter areas covered by the Division and all phases of program planning, development, execution, and review. The incumbent provides special assistance to the Director in initiating, planning, and coordinating Division research programs with other USDA and U.S. Government agencies and outside institutions. The Associate Director also plans, coordinates, manages and reviews day-to-day staff analyses, coordinates divisional policy studies, and contributes to the overall management and administration of the Division. Major administrative responsibilities include staff recruiting, development, and training activities. ERS-M13N-0019, Supervisory Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-15(Close: Wednesday, February 27, 2013) – Federal Employees; ERS-S13N-0018, Supervisory Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-15 (Close: Wednesday, February 27, 2013) – All US Citizens

    The Economic Research Service (ERS) seeks a Branch Chief responsible for planning, directing, and managing the International Demand and Trade Branch (IDTB) program of agricultural economic research, analysis, and information dissemination. The Branch Chief is responsible for providing the overall management of the highly technical components of the IDTB program and for providing the expertise needed in decision making and management of the IDTB. The incumbent is responsible for managing a number of technically complex projects involving selecting or developing the most appropriate and current research methodologies, often of great complexity, and applying them to complicated economic problems. The Branch Chief is also responsible for identifying research activities and resources required to complete the work assigned to the International Demand and Trade Branch. ERS-M13N-0021, Supervisory Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-15 (Close: Monday, March 11, 2013) -- Federal Employees; ERS-S13N-0020, Supervisory Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-15 (Close: Monday, March 11, 2013) -- All US Citizens

  • Agriculture Investment Analyst

    The Agricultural Investments unit of the Prudential Mortgage Capital Co. (PMCC), a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc., with over a $2.5 billion Ag mortgage portfolio, is one of the leading providers of long term financing to agricultural landowners in the United States. We have an opening for an Agriculture Investment Analyst in our Midwest Regional office located in Lisle, Illinois, the heart of the nation’s most productive agriculture area.

    The Analyst (Investment Operations Specialist) assists Investment Professionals in the evaluation of new agricultural loans and monitoring of credit risk in the existing agricultural mortgage loan portfolio, as well as conducting various industry research and analysis projects.

    The individual we are seeking must be highly motivated with blend of several abilities including excellent analytical, research, and communication skills as well as an ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks. In addition to the analytical skill set, the individual must have good interpersonal skills with an interest in marketing and business development, a major responsibility for eventually becoming an Investment Professional. The candidate must have a strong desire to learn, and the ability to work both independently as well as in a team environment.

    Qualifications:

    1. Masters Degree in business, agricultural finance, economics, or equivalent curriculum preferred.
    2. A farming background or agriculture experience.
    3. Strong research, data gathering, and organization skills.
    4. Proficiency with MS Office applications.

    The Analyst will report directly to the Regional Investment professionals and will work closely with other investment staff in the Midwest Regional office.

    The position provides a wide range of employee benefits including healthcare coverage, a 401K plan, a retirement plan and other benefits.
    For more information contact:
    John Nitz
    Principal
    801 Warrenville Road Suite 150
    Lisle, Illinois 60532
    630-829-4679