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Nine students presented research at the 19th annual Omicron Delta Epsilon undergraduate economics and business conference at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., April 18. Susan Averett, Dana Professor and head of economics and business, and James DeVault, associate professor of economics and business, accompanied the students.
In addition to presenting their own research, the students served as discussants, providing constructive criticism to other authors after presenting their papers.
All of the students worked closely with faculty members through the College’s honors program. Lafayette’s focus on close student-faculty interaction has made it a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the hundreds of students who participate in the honors, independent study, and EXCEL Scholars programs each year publish their work in academic journals and present at regional and national conferences.
Lauren Moulder ’08 (Eden Prairie, Minn.), a double major in economics & business and French, presented her honors thesis exploring possibilities for universal health care in the United States. Her advisers were Averett and Rose Marie Bukics, Jones Professor of Economics and Business.
Jacquelynn Molzon ’08 (Durham, N.C.), who is pursuing a B.S. in biology and A.B. in economics and business, presented her honors research on the determinants of pharmaceutical market success. Christopher Ruebeck, assistant professor of economics and business, was her honors adviser.
Felix Forster ’09 (Rostock, Germany), who is pursuing a B.S. in mathematics and an A.B. in economics and business, presented a paper his co-authored with David Stifel, assistant professor of economics and business. The research deals with Stifel’s recent work on poverty in Madagascar and specifically looks at inequalities across groups based on characteristics such as ethnicity, educational attainment, land holdings in rural Madagascar.
Julie Sauer ’08 (Rochester, N.Y.), a double major in government & law and economics & business, presented her honors thesis on the economic conditions that influence popular music. Her adviser was Mark Crain, Simon Professor of Political Economy and chair of Policy Studies.
Lauren Steinitz ’08 (Mercer Island, Wash.), a psychology and economics & business double major, presented her work on the effects of risky behavior on academic achievement as an indicator of later-life success. Averett served as her honors adviser.
Mrittika Shamsuddin ’08 (Dhaka, Bangladesh), an economics & business and mathematics double major, presented her honors thesis on the effect of monetary policy signaling on U.S. term structure of interest rates. She worked with Julie Smith, assistant professor of economics and business, as her honors adviser.
Xin Wu ’08, an economics & business and mathematics double major, presented his work on the impact of capital gains taxes on stock returns. His honors adviser was Donald Chambers, Walter E. Hanson/KPMG Peat Marwick Professor of Business and Finance.
Chris Benonis ’08 (Doylestown, Pa.), a double major in economics & business and geology, presented his work on the impact of state incentives on the economic feasibility of solar energy in Pennsylvania. DeVault served as his honors adviser.
Huong Nguyen ’08 (Hanoi, Vietnam), an economics and business major, presented her work on the impact of globalization on domestic inflation in developing countries. Stifel served as her honors adviser.