Winter 2016 Newsletter

Hello economics students and faculty! We hope you are having a great winter quarter. In this issue we will be discussing the recent achievements of the economics faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students, and will be discussing future events for students and faculty. We hope you enjoy reading the newsletter!

-Your Economics Peer Advisors

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Graduate Student Awards

25th Anniversary Ph.D. Research Award
This award has been presented to David Munro for his research in macroeconomics, and his job paper studies volatility in firm growth rates during recessions. David shows that consumer behavior has important implications for the cyclicality of firm productivity dispersion - during recessions, consumers switch to lower cost producers, causing countercyclical dispersion in firm growth rates.

Eileen Brooks Memorial Award
Recipient: Jijian Fan
Jijian's 2nd-year paper, "The Value of Political Connections in China: Government Officials on the Board of Directors" examines a policy in China which outlawed politicians from serving on the Board of Directors of firms. Jijian uses a difference-in-difference strategy to look at the effect of the policy on firm outcomes. In his analysis, Jijian finds that the policy lowered the stock prices of firms that had previously had a politician on the board, relative to a comparison group that did not. His work suggests that political connections had important effects on firm valuations.

Masters Students Scholarships
UCSC Merit Fellowship Awards have been awarded to the following students:
Dylan McCombs
Alexa Wolford
Tiffany Casali
Emily Bowers

Ph.D. Scholarships:
There are four recipients for the research award:
Jijian Fan
Eilin Francis
Justin Rietz
Raul Tadle

Chancellor’s Graduate Internship (CGI) Program
The Recipient:
In the economics department this award has been presented to Daniel Oliver for his project titled, “Diversity at Work: Examining Student Performance Based on Randomized Pairings of Introductory Chemistry Lab Partners”.

Undergraduate Student Awards

The recipients for this year’s 2015 Economics Department Undergraduate Awards are Alejandra Sanchez Loza, Zane Gregorian, and Madison Jeong. The three students are juniors and study business management economics. This award is for students whose coursework is impressive in both breadth and quality.  This award will help reimburse their tuition and fees for the school year.

Faculty Profiles

Michael Hutchison
True Original, True Slug
For over 30 years, UC Santa Cruz Economics professor and alumnus, Michael Hutchison (Merrill, ’76, Economics), has studied financial crises and economic booms. He has analyzed why markets rise, fall and everything in between.

Nirvikar Singh
Appointed to the Sarbjit Aurora Endowed Chair in Sikh and Punjabi Studies
Distinguished Professor Nirvikar Singh has been reappointed “Sarbjit Aurora Endowed Chair in Sikh and Punjabi Studies” for the period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2020 in recognition of the excellence, his scholarship, teachings and proposed activities for the program.

Robert Shepherd
Accounting's Bob Shepherd wins state CPA society Outstanding Educator Award
Robert Shepherd, former director of the economics accounting track at UC Santa Cruz, has been named winner of the 2015 Outstanding Educator Award by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA).

Making the Most of Study Abroad
I fell in love last year; not with a person, but with a place and its culture. In fourteen short months, Italy charmed its way into my heart with its rich history, beautiful language and the way of life. To think just this time last year I had already finished my first semester at the University of Bologna, I am so grateful for what my time in Italy allowed me to experience and learn. From the moment I stepped foot into the oldest university in Europe, I was taken aback by the vibrant frescos and detailed crown molding lining every room. As a Global Economics major at the University of California, Santa Cruz, I instantly knew that choosing to study in Italy was the perfect decision for me.

Upcoming Events

TA Reception
May 18, 12:30-2:00pm, 4th Floor Lobby

Ph.D. Admit Day
April 1 and 2

M.S. Job FairsApril 8 and May 13, 9:00am-12:00pm, University Center

Faculty/Undergraduate Events, Spring 2016
April 21, 12:00-1:00pm, room 499 E2, Professor and Department Chair Robert Fairlie, is hosting an informal discussion.

May 25, 3:00-4:00pm, room 499 E2, TBA

Economics Graduation Reception
Friday, June 10, 1:30-3:30pm, Stevenson Event Center, Graduation Reception for Undergraduates and Masters Students

Ph.D. and M.S. Commencement Ceremony
Friday, June 10, 4:00pm, East Field