Alipio Ferreira receives University Research Council award

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Assistant Professor Alipio Ferreira received a 2023-2024 University Research Council award.  URC research grants fund faculty research across the disciplines. Awards are ranked based on the significance of the proposed research, its value to the University and the career development of the proposer. A brief description of Alipio’s research follows.

“Inadequate waste disposal generates significant environmental risks, such as air, soil, and water pollution, with consequences for climate change (through greenhouse gas emissions) and human health (through the spread of diseases). In Peru, as in many low and middle-income countries, numerous waste disposal sites fail to adhere to safety standards, causing soil degradation, pollution, and health hazards for local communities. At the same time, the Peruvian national government lacks the capacity to monitor and enforce regulations. A potential solution to alleviate capacity constraints is to leverage remote-sensed monitoring, using freely available images from Sentinel satellites to inspect waste dumps. This initiative aims to aid the Peruvian national enforcement agency in developing a monitoring tool, enabling remote inspections and assessing their impact on regulatory compliance and environmental quality. The project involves utilizing satellite data to identify non-compliant sites, allowing authorities to communicate with local counterparts and implement necessary sanctions.”

SMU Professor Organizes Econometrics Conference

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Professor Tom Fomby recently co-organized the Advances in Econometric (AiE) conference honoring the lifetime contributions of Professor Joon Y. Park. The event took place at Indiana University September 29-30, 2023. AiE is also home to a journal of the same name, which publishes scholarly papers that make use of, and broaden, econometric techniques. Professor Fomby has been a senior co-editor of the journal since 1986.

 

Reynolds Presented the 2023 Extra Mile Award

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Dr. Helen Reynolds, Senior Lecturer and Maguire Teaching Fellow is one of three winners of the 2023 Extra Mile Award for exceptional work helping and inspiring students who learn differently.

She is known for her engaging teaching style, dedication to teaching and learning, and her caring demeanor. Students say she explains topics thoroughly and uses visual aids to help visual learners. She also helps students with accommodations for testing, working around their schedules and making herself available to answer questions. Congratulations on this well deserved award!

 

 

Assistant Professors Alipio Ferreira and Prasanthi Ramakrishnan join Economics Department faculty

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Prasanthi Ramakrishnan

Ramakrishnan is a labor economist, with research interests at the intersection of Household Economics, Health Economics and Entrepreneurship. She focuses on different types of inequality in the labor market, either by gender or by race, and aims to understand the mechanisms causing these inequalities using cutting-edge microeconometric methods. Her research agenda explores the importance of incorporating education, marriage, and decisions within the household in analyzing changes to the social security system, a system that treats married and single households differently.  Her agenda also studies differences in gender and race amongst entrepreneurs and to understand policy prescriptions to boost entrepreneurship, as well as incentives to take up health insurance amongst the poor and rich. Read more

Alipio Ferreira

Before joining SMU, Ferreira worked as an environmental consultant in the Finance Department of the São Paulo, Brazil State Government, and as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Abul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics, a Master’s degree from Tilburg University, and a Bachelor’s degree from São Paulo School of Economics. Alipio’s research is focused on law enforcement issues in public finance and environmental regulation in developing countries. He is currently studying policies to increase the efficiency of environmental enforcement practices, with the goal of reducing illegal deforestation and improving environmental quality. Read more

Manan Helps Support the Youth!!!

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Manan, an alumni of SMU Economics PhD program and now an Associate Professor at Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management at Beaver College of Health Sciences, Appalachian State University is making big strides supporting the youth. Her contribution supports youth mental health by assisting in getting a 4-year research grant approved through National Institutes of Health (NIH), towards the study of “Impacts of Social Determinants of Health and COVID-19 Pandemic Factors on Suicide Risk among Youth.” This grant doesn’t only provide a team of experts, but also helps funds 4 undergraduates and 1 graduate student per year. This is amazing!!!!

Grant Overview:

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth in the US. The proposed research is relevant to public health because it will integrate real-time data on suicide risks among youth with national data on social determinants of health and COVID-19 burdens. This will determine how suicide risks among youth has changed throughout the pandemic, how these changes vary by different sociodemographic groups, and how social determinants of health and COVID-19 impacts suicide risks. This research is particularly needed considering the pandemic’s impact on youth mental health and recent advisories from the US Surgeon General that highlight the need for a better understanding of the impact of the pandemic on youth

Congratulations Manan! Keep making a difference and making your SMU family proud!

Yara Shousha wins Fall 2023 Thomas B. Fomby Graduate Award of Excellence!

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Yara Shousha, an outstanding master’s student, has been selected as the first recipient of the Thomas B. Fomby Graduate Award!

This prestigious award acknowledges outstanding academic accomplishments within the Economics master’s programs and includes a generous scholarship to be applied towards the student’s Fall 2023 tuition and other fees. Ms. Shousha is very deserving of this award and we as a department see a great future ahead for her. Congratulations!!

Click here to learn more about the Thomas B. Fomby Graduate Award.