For more details about the hackathon and its outcomes, check out here.

Originally published in the AEA Papers and Proceedings in 2022, the study provides critical insights into the economic implications of the sudden withdrawal of expanded pandemic unemployment benefits in June 2021. Utilizing anonymized bank transaction data for 16,253 individuals who were receiving unemployment insurance (UI) in April 2021, the research employs a difference-in-differences approach to compare states that withdrew expanded UI benefits to those that retained them. Interested readers can find the article .

We congratulate Professor Coombs and the research team for this outstanding achievement and their ongoing contributions to the field of economics.

The winners are:

Faculty choice award: Ally D’Aquino
Faculty choice award runner-up: Patrick Bergin

Student choice award (tie): Shelby Howard
Student choice award (tie): Catie Sanchez
Student choice award (tie): Chris Euston
Student choice award runner-up: Luke Urribarri

Congratulations to all the thesis writers for the successful and fulfilling experience!

Please read more about this study here, or see the paper .

A recent article in The �ֲ���ý Student writes:

Coming from Miami University in Ohio, Smith looks forward to the small community at �ֲ���ý and getting to know students in elements beyond the classroom, such as sports games. Smith’s goal is to get students excited about econometrics through providing hands-on opportunities to work with data and to see it in practice. “No more scaries” as he puts it, when it comes to students’ comfortability with this topic.

Bird, from Luther College in Iowa, wants to “introduce students to principal courses where they can learn tools that professional economists use in their field.” Bird’s values in economics are complemented by the support he receives from the economic department as he is able to grow and learn from colleges. Additionally, he is especially excited about teaching an economics thesis seminar this year. Outside of the classroom, Bird is looking forward to exploring Maine and discovering cool spots around.  

“I chose �ֲ���ý because it is a fantastic school where people value research,” said Lindsay, who also comes from Luther College in Iowa. The environmental economist says she has a lot of optimism when teaching at �ֲ���ý, as she can expand her dreams while impacting students as well. In her office, she has a large white board filled with current projects, ideas and future goals- all which see views as seeds that she hopes to grow at �ֲ���ý. 

Goff, from Skidmore College in New York, aims to “better infuse community-engaged learning through her classes by  providing students with new opportunities to explore the world of economics beyond the classroom.” After attending Colby College as a first generation student, Goff went on what she defines as an untraditional path and took more classes to explore areas of study she did not in her undergraduate, and as a result she is excited to embrace her role as an advisor and encourage students to accomplish whatever they desire. 

See more at .

Professor Riera-Crichton quoted his favorite poet from his homeland of Spain, Antonio Machado: “Caminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada más; Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.” Translated to English: “Traveler, your footprints are the only road, nothing else; Traveler, there is no road, you make your own path as you walk.”
Please read more at this �ֲ���ý News article.