Student Research

All of our seniors pursue independent research projects spanning many different areas of Economics, and we are proud of the research they produce.  Many also present their work in the spring at the Mount David Summit or the Maine Economics Conference. Below is a sample of student work from recent years.

Here is a selection of thesis video presentations from our Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 virtual thesis celebrations:

Class of 2021

Quinn KiernatOutstanding fall thesis presentation, by faculty voteDo Immigrants “Bring” Crime? An Empirical Analysis of U.S. Counties
Olivia McCullochBest winter thesis presentation, by faculty voteWhat are the Long-Term Effects of the Spanish Influenza on Innovation in the Drug & Medical Industry in the United States? (Video)
John RexReceived Stangle Family Award for a SeniorA Half-Full Glass: Using Google Trends and Natural Language Processing to Examine Investor Behavior in Response to Big-Tech News (Video)

Maddie Sirois
Runner-up for best winter thesis presentation, by faculty voteEmployer-Funded Transportation Benefits and Modal Choice: A Study of Puget Sound Commuters (Video)
Sam StonerOutstanding fall thesis presentation, by faculty voteThe Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Air Quality (Video)

Class of 2020


Julien Lewin
Nominated outstanding thesis by facultyThe Effect of Prescription Opioid Use on Labor Market Conditions (Thesis)

James MacDonald
Nominated outstanding thesis by facultyFinancial Market Stress: Measuring Spillover Effects Across Countries (Thesis) (Poster)

Christopher Simard
Nominated outstanding thesis by facultyBike-Sharing Systems and the Transportation Modal Choice Problem: A Natural Experiment in New York City (Thesis) (Poster)

Abdul Tawab Ajm Safi
Received Stangle Award for Best Senior ThesisLearning to Beat the Random Walk: Using Machine Learning to Predict Changes in Exchange Rates (Thesis) (Poster) (Code)

Class of 2019


Zofia Ahmad
Awarded Honors; Presented at the Maine Economics ConferenceThe Road to Riches- Quantifying the Persistent Effects of the Silk Roads Network

Lucy Faust
Presented at the Maine Economics ConferenceThe Real Price to Pay for Waterfront Property: The Impact of Flood Zones and Spatial Proximity to Water on Property Prices in York County, Maine

Anastasia Leff
Voted Best Capstone by studentsThe Impact of Interrupted Education on Earnings: The Case of China’s Cultural Revolution

Adah Lindquist
Voted Best Capstone by studentsAssessing Economic Growth and Income Inequality in the Fine Art Market

Nicholas Lynch
Awarded Honors; Presented at the Maine Economics Conference; Received Stangle Award for Best Senior ThesisExplaining the Global Interest Rate Decline

Emily Lyons
Voted Best Capstone by faculty and students; Presented at the Maine Economics ConferenceThe Long-Term Effects of Christian Missions on Family Formation in sub-Saharan Africa

Alexia Sahue
Voted Best Capstone voted by faculty and students; Presented at the Maine Economics ConferenceDoes Education Empower Women? Evidence from Zimbabwe

Bennett Saltzman
Published in Economics LettersA Machine Learning Approach to Identifying Different Types of Uncertainty