News Archive: 2015

Dec 21, 2015
GCER Fellow Martin Ravallion Publishes New Book on Poverty

Martin Ravallion, Edmond Villani Chair of Economics, Georgetown University, has written a new book “The Economics of Poverty: History, Measurement and Policy.” Professor Ravallion’s main research interests over the last 30 years have concerned poverty and the policies for fighting it. He has advised numerous governments and international agencies on this topic and has written extensively on this and other subjects in economics. His research includes five books and 200 papers in scholarly journals and edited volumes. His new book will be published by Oxford University Press in January 2016. You can learn more about the book here.

Nov 10, 2015
GCER Fellow and Villani Chair Francis Vella elected Fellow of the Econometric Society.

We are proud to announce that our own Francis Vella, GCER Co-Director and Edmond Villani Professor of Economics at Georgetown, was recently elected Fellow of the Econometric Society. The election is one the most prestigious awards in all of economics. It places Professor Vella among the very best in the profession. Congratulations, Frank!

Sep 11, 2015
GU Econ Student receives dissertation grant from Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

Georgetown Economics PhD student Jake Mortenson was recently awarded a dissertation grant from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Jake is currently working for Joint Committee on Taxation. He and his colleagues, Jeff Larrimore of the Federal Reserve Board and David Splinter of the Joint Committee, use federal income tax data to document large intra-generational income mobility. The show that almost half of all workers have their earnings increase or decrease by at least 25 percent every two years.

Georgetown Economics PhD student Jake Mortenson was recently awarded a dissertation grant from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Jake is currently working for Joint Committee on Taxation. He and his colleagues, Jeff Larrimore of the Federal Reserve Board and David Splinter of the Joint Committee, use federal income tax data to document large intra-generational income mobility. They show that almost half of all workers have their earnings increase or decrease by at least 25 percent every two years.

May 16, 2015
Jason Albert receives Razin Prize

Jason Albert, winner of the eighteenth annual Razin Prize, is shown being congratulated by George Akerlof, who delivered the Razin Policy Lecture on April 27, 2015. Jason received the prize for his dissertation paper titled “Strategic Dynamics of Antibiotic Use and the Evolution of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections”.

The Razin Prize was established by the Razin family in 1997 to honor the memory of Ofair Razin (1966 – 1996; PhD, Georgetown University, 1996). The prize is accompanied by the Razin Lecture on economic policy by a distinguished economist.

May 8, 2015
Caitlin Brown and Andrew Whitten receive Vernon Jordan Jr Fellowship Award

For the fourth straight year, The Economic Club of Washington presents its prestigious Vernon E. Jordan Jr Fellowship Award to a GU Economics PhD student. This year’s recipients are Caitlin Brown and Andrew Whitten. Caitlin and Andrew are the fifth and sixth GU students to receive the award, joining past recipients Jacob Mortenson, Alison Weingarten, Claire Brunel, and Mauricio Villamizar. As this year’s winners, Caitlin and Andrew were presented with their awards by The Economic Club of Washington in the Spring of 2015.

Mar 29, 2015
Nobel Recipient George Akerlof to deliver Razin Policy Lecture

George Akerlof, University Professor and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 will deliver the 2015 Razin Policy Lecture on April 27. The Lecture, entitled “Phishing for Phools,” will take place on Monday, April 27, 2015 from 3:30 to 5:00 in the McShain Large Lounge on the GU campus. A reception will follow.

Professor Akerlof is a renowned economist whose innovative work on markets with asymmetric information explains why such markets often break down. This work, culminating in his famous paper, “The Market for ‘Lemons’” earned Professor Akerlof the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics, a prize he shared with Michael Spence.

The Razin Lecture is accompanied by the awarding of the Razin Prize for best research paper by an advanced graduate student. This year’s recipient, Jason Albert, will receive the award for his dissertation paper titled “Strategic Dynamics of Antibiotic Use and the Evolution of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections“. The event was established by the Razin family in 1997 to honor the memory of Ofair Razin (1966 – 1996; PhD, Georgetown University, 1996). More on the background and history of the Razin Prize and Policy Lecture can be found here.

Feb 6, 2015
GCER Fellow Levinson featured on Freakonomics Radio

Arik Levinson, GU Economics Professor and GCER Fellow was recently interviewed on Freakonomics Radio, a forum for economic ideas started by best-selling authors Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt. The podcast of that interview can be found here. In the interview Levinson discusses his recent paper, “How Much Energy Do Building Energy Codes Really Save? Evidence From California.”