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Kyle Fränkel ’21, Graham Hutchinson ’21, Caroline McGimsey ’21, John McGinley ’21, Marybeth Nemecek ’21, Alexa Rasmussen ’21 and Maxwell Zucker ’21 presented their senior theses research at the 2021 Eastern Economic Association conference.

During the nine undergraduate conference sessions, held Feb. 26-27, the economics majors participated as session chairs, presenters and paper discussants.

The ���ϲ����� papers presented:

• “An Analysis on the Relationship between Teenage Participation in Sports and Income”
  Kyle Fränkel (mentor: Associate Professor Katy Rouse)
• “The Economic Impact of Allowing Refugees the Right to Work”
  Graham Hutchinson (mentor: Assistant Professor Brandon Sheridan)
• “The Economic Impact of Critical Habitat Designations on Indigenous Communities”
  Caroline McGimsey (mentor: Assistant Professor Andrew Greenland)
• “Impact of Childhood Parasitic Infection on Future Wages in Indonesia”
  John McGinley (mentor: Assistant Professor Tonmoy Islam)
• “The Impact of Technology Use on Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills of Elementary School Students”
  Marybeth Nemecek (mentor: Associate Professor Katy Rouse)
• “Is Having a Child Damaging to a Woman’s Earning Potential in the Labor Market?”
  Alexa Rasmussen (mentor: Martha and Spencer Love Professor Steve DeLoach)
• “Predicting Power: The Impact of Economic Growth on Geopolitical Influence”
  Maxwell Zucker (mentor: Associate Professor Mark Kurt)

Since fall 2020, the students worked under the guidance of their faculty mentors to address an economic problem of their choosing. The conference offered them the opportunity to receive and share feedback on papers, and network with students from other universities.

“It was immensely rewarding sharing something that I have been working so hard on over the course of my senior year with a community who shares a deep appreciation for economics and economic research,” Rasmussen said. “I was particularly grateful for the opportunity to engage with other students from different schools at the conference’s virtual reception, where I was able to form new connections and friendships that I plan to maintain over the course of my professional journey in economics.

“This conference reminded me of the importance behind my degree, and how vast the opportunity to create positive change is behind an understanding of this science.”

For the 28th consecutive year, the undergraduate sessions were sponsored by (IPE), the leading undergraduate research journal in economics. The journal is co-edited by ���ϲ����� and the University of Mary Washington, and is the oldest continually-published journal of undergraduate research in economics. Steve DeLoach, Martha and Spencer Love Professor in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, serves as the journal’s faculty co-advisor.