Welcome to the Bates Economics website, where you can find information on the department curriculum, faculty, events, and more.

Recent News:

• Celebrating economics thesis writers!December 13, 2022

  Fall thesis writers gathered this Monday to present and celebrate their thesis research in economics. Out of the 36 thesis students this semester, students and faculty voted for the thesis excellence awards.

  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!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Experience of the pandemic shifts attitudes toward the function of the government and marketOctober 26, 2022

  Professor Sandra Goff’s paper “Support for Bigger Government: The Principle-Implementation Gap and COVID-19” with John Ifcher, Homa Zarghamee, Alex Reents, and Patrick Wade, is forthcoming in Contemporary Economic Policy.

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

• Four new faculty members join the Bates economics departmentSeptember 30, 2022

  Dr. Sam Bird, Dr. Sandra Goff, Dr. Amanda Lindsay, and Dr. Austin Smith joined the faculty in the economics department this fall.

  A recent article in The Bates Student writes:

  Coming from Miami University in Ohio, Smith looks forward to the small community at Bates 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 Bates 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 Bates, 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 Bates. 

  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 The Bates Student.

• Professor of Economics Daniel Riera-Crichton delivered the Convocation addressSeptember 19, 2022

  

  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 Bates News article.

• Welcome back from WE@Bates faculty! Join us for lunch on Wednesday at an upstairs table in Commons!September 11, 2022