Recognition

2021 Undergraduate Research Conference

Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:

Top Scholar

• Rachel Rucker
  "County Level Changes Alone Predicted Biden Win in Both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin"
  Faculty sponsor: Ryan Phelps

2020 Undergraduate Research Conference

Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:

Top Scholar

• Karina Weathers
  "Do Bilinguals Earn More in Texas?"
  Faculty sponsor: Rebecca Davis

Finalists

• Helena Collmorgen
  "Sector Correlations and Rotational Investing"
  Faculty sponsor: Emiliano Giudici
• Hannah Percell
  "Using Power BI Reports to Support Stakeholder Relations for a Regional Non-Profit Mental Health Care Provider"
  Faculty sponsor: Ryan Phelps

2019 Undergraduate Research Conference

Publications submitted from students with faculty sponsors within the Department of Economics and Finance were recognized:

Top Scholar

• Kia Fisker
  "European Labor Market Policies and Unemployment Rates"
  Faculty sponsor: Stephen Kosovich

Finalists

• John Bledsoe, Braxton Berthot, Ashley Spitzmiller, Joshua Hunter McClellan
  "A Valuation of Trecora Resources"
  Faculty sponsor: Samuel Kyle Jones
• Seraiah Scamardo
  "The Influence of Political Ideology and Mass Shootings on Firearm Acquisition in the United States"
  Faculty sponsors: Rebecca Davis and Stephen Kosovich
• Miguel Silva
  "An Investigation into the Factors Driving Oscar Nominations"
  Faculty sponsor: Ryan Phelps
• Josephine Unger
  "A Macroeconomic Approach for Modeling Road Traffic Fatality Rates"
  Faculty sponsor: Ryan Phelps

Economics alumna visits campus as guest speaker

McKenna Maxwell '05 returned to campus in 2019 to meet with current students and impart career wisdom while touting the college’s impact on her education.

“I got a great education from SFA because of professors who are invested with their students and where they go from there,” Maxwell said. “They keep in contact with graduates after they leave, they’re always willing to help, and they gave me an education that is comparable or better than what I would’ve gotten anywhere else. Being able to count on a close, personal relationship with professors gives SFA students a leg up compared to some of the bigger schools in Texas.”

Dr. Mark Scanlan receives Bright Spots: Teaching award

The award, presented by the SFA Faculty Senate, the Center for Teaching and learning, and university vice presidents, recognizes faculty and staff members who have gone above and beyond to create positive learning experiences for students.

It was a group of SFA students who coined the term “Scanlanomics” in recognition of one of their favorite economics professors, Dr. Mark Scanlan. "Many students express that Mark is not only great at delivering difficult material and making it relatable, but also caring, understanding and accessible," said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, department chair. "Every semester, there are at least a handful of student comments on class evaluations declaring Mark to be the best professor, and that is no small feat for someone teaching economics."

Through an online prediction game, Fredcast, developed by the Federal Reserve Bank, students predict key economic variables. Scanlan designates a day each month for students to discuss their predictions and research, with the goal of making the material “meaningful, interesting and relevant for students.” He invites banking guest lecturers to visit his class and discuss different topics the students have learned in his money and banking course. Read more.