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Profile: COBA’s Department of Economics |
“I
want to help build a program that not only caters to COBA, but also
to the university and the global community,” says Kwabenah
Gyimah-Brempong, PhD, chair of the College of Business
Administration (COBA) Economics Department, when discussing the
department’s recent accomplishments.
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The
COBA Economics
department awards both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science
degree, as well as an economics minor available to all USF students. The
department also offers a Master of Arts, which invites select students
to take part in a five-year program with their undergraduate economics
major. This expedites the process of earning a Master’s degree and
preparing for doctoral study in the field. Another departmental offering
is a PhD in Economics. Professors teach classes stocked with students
focusing on many disciplines, from pre-law to business majors. MBA
students have the option of completing an Economics specialization in
Government and Business. The wide variety of programs offered; combined
with distinguished scholars, who are experts in their area make COBA an
extremely appealing place to study economics.
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Kwabenah
Gyimah-Brempong, PhD, chair
of the College of Business Administration
(COBA) Economics Department. |
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Barbara Caldwell, PhD class of 2006,
winner of the National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation
grant.
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"We have outstanding
students in our department,” suggests Gyimah-Brempong. Although
the doctoral program is young, it has already received national
recognition for its exceptional students. Barbara Caldwell, PhD
class of 2006, won the National Science Foundation Doctoral
Dissertation grant, which is only awarded to four students in the
world. “Without the encouragement and support from Dr.
Gyimah-Brempong and the chairman of my dissertation committee, Dr.
[Gabriel] Picone, I would have never even applied for the grant.
Dr. Gyimah-Brempong said, ‘you can’t win if you don’t apply,’”
states Caldwell. Fortunately, she took his advice and won a $12,000
award to purchase data for her research investigation on the
regulation of nursing homes. Her competitors for the award included
students who studied at other prestigious institutions, such as
Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. “This is a very important award,”
declares Gyimah-Brempong. “It is highly competitive, and I’m
extremely proud of her accomplishment.”
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Economics faculty members are also making noteworthy achievements.
Gabriel Picone, PhD, a health economics expert, recently won a COBA
research award and has been promoted to full professor. He obtained
three external research grants, including one from the National
Institute of Health. Picone also published a book recently about the
costs of smoking. Jeffrey DeSimone, PhD, joined the National Bureau
of Economic Research and was also awarded a grant from the National
Institute of Alcohol Abuse. Christopher Thomas has been named Exide
Endowed Professor of Sustainability Studies.
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In addition
to the most recent award winners, the faculty in the
department has been published in numerous journals. Mark
Herander, PhD, an International Economist, consistently
publishes high quality articles. He recently, published a
paper in the Review of Economics and Statistics, one of the
top ten economics journals in the world. Carole Greene, PhD,
is a labor economist, and has published seven articles
within the last four years.
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Economics faculty
members draw great attention to COBA through the expertise within
their areas of study. Don Bellante, PhD, is a specialist in labor
economics; he is frequently called upon to discuss labor issues by
the local and national press. He also serves on the editorial boards
of four journals. Bellante has also been granted the Outstanding
Professor Award three times by the Graduate Business Association at
USF. Phillip Porter, PhD, a sports economist, was recently
interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) regarding his
investigations about the economic impacts of media sporting events,
such as the Olympics.
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“Our faculty works extremely hard,” Gyimah-Brempong affirms. “I’m
very proud of their accomplishments and their unyielding efforts to
excel in all they do.” Gyimah-Brempong is finishing his second year
as department chair. He has been elected president of the National
Economics Association, and was also an Economics program director at
the National Science Foundation; he continues to consult for them.
He will soon take part in shaping economic policy in Johannesburg,
South Africa. The United Nations Commission for Africa invited
Gyimah-Brempong to help develop strategies to reduce African
poverty. In addition, he is on the editorial board of three journals
and has over 60 publications. “I just keeping working; I don’t stop
to think about it. If you stop to think about what you want to do,
you’ll never actually do it,” advises Gyimah-Brempong.
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The department also
provides the university and community the opportunity to network
with scholars around the country. Seminars are offered to all who
are interested in learning about a variety of research projects
professors are working on. Faculty from other universities are
invited to USF to discuss their insights on research ideas as well
as their employment of various methodological approaches. “It’s a
great opportunity to see what work is being produced at other
institutions, and to see what people do after their academic
training is over. It helps you anticipate what you will be doing in
the future,” Caldwell explains.
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the years to come, I envision we will grow into a world
class department. I believe it’s possible with a little bit
of imagination, and some support from the college and
university,” Gyimah-Brempong concludes. This is just the
beginning of the Economic Department’s success; COBA
anticipates many more accomplishments from them in the
future. |
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College
of Business Administration Quarterly Newsletter