EAGER: Applied Econometrics Laboratory and Summer Economics Research Program

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HBCU DCL, EARGER: Applied Econometrics Laboratory and Summer Economics Research ProgramThis research project will contribute to the development of research infrastructure in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by running an intensive six-week workshop in applied econometrics in which students complete a first draft of a research paper they will submit to a referred economics journal for publication. Despite African Americans making 13.3% of the U.S. population in 2016, they constituted only 1.7% of the economics faculties in the U.S. in that year. This is partly due to supply side factors as African Americans are increasingly earning fewer PhDs in economics compared to their share of the population and to other racial groups. Undergraduate research experience in economics is probably the best predictor of interest and success in pursuing graduate studies in economics. The proposed applied econometrics workshop focusing on undergraduate research experience at an HBCU, which is still a major source of African American undergraduates, will build research capacity among these undergraduates, hence serve as a pipeline to graduate programs in economics. In addition to increasing the potential supply of graduate students, the workshop will also build research infrastructure at an HBCU as well as enhance research collaboration among students and faculty. Participants who do not go on to PhD programs will learn valuable skills that will equip them to be employed as economic analysts. The results of this research project will lead to increases in the number of African American PhDs in economics and on economics faculties, thus diversifying the economics profession generally and economics faculty particularly. This research project will bring students from HBCUs for a six-week intensive workshop in applied econometrics research in a bid to increase their empirical research skills. The workshop will feature both classroom learning as well as laboratory experience. Workshop participants will work with two Morehouse College economics faculty who are experienced empirical researchers. The focus will be on the research component with participants developing and writing drafts of a research paper they will revise later and submit to a referred journal for publication consideration. The use of STATA for economics research will be emphasized in this workshop. These competencies will not only help those who will continue to obtain PhDs in economics but will also provide valuable skills to participants who may choose to work as research analysts/assistants after their baccalaureate degrees. The results of this research project will not only increase the number of African Americans with PhDs in economics; but will also serve to diversify the STEM workforce in the U.S. and ultimately strengthen the U.S. economy.