Teaching and Educational Methods
Undergraduate Research Opportunities in an Applied Economics Program: Expanding Pathways for Economics Majors (and Beyond) at Land-Grant HBCUs
Huan Li(a), Lyubov Kurkalova(a), Scott Simkins(a) and Shona Morgan(a)
(a)North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
JEL Codes: JEL Codes: A22, I23, J24
Keywords: Applied economics, HBCU, in-class and out-of-class pathways, undergraduate research, UREs
Publish Date: November 20, 2024
Abstract
This article describes an intentionally designed two-pathway (in-class and out-of-class) framework for undergraduate students to gain research opportunities and analytical skills in an applied undergraduate economics degree program located in the Deese College of Business and Economics at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), a high research activity Historically Black College and University (HBCU), 1890 land-grant university. This framework is being expanded across the Deese College, building on the success of past undergraduate research activities in the economics department. We summarize the design and pilot implementation of this framework that scaffolds hands-on research experiences and practical research skill development over multiple years, involving multiple stakeholders. The framework seeks to increase the number of underrepresented students engaged in applied research experiences and prepare students for a future that encompasses graduate studies and research-based employment.
References
Boyle, P. 2021. “Clinical Trials Seek to Fix Their Lack of Racial Mix.” Association of American Medical Colleges, August 20. https://www.aamc.org/news/clinical-trials-seek-fix-their-lack-racial-mix
Buolamwini, J., and T. Gebru. 2018. “Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification.” In Proceedings of the 1st Conference on Fairness, Accountability and Transparency (PMLR 81, pp. 77–91).
Cebula, R.J. 2017. “High-Impact Teaching in Economics: A Flexible Paradigm Utilizing Introductory Econometrics for Promoting Undergraduate Research and Publishing.” The American Economist 62(2):247–257.
Deloach, S. 2023. “Undergraduate Research in Economics.” EconEdNews, Newsletter of the American Economic Association Committee on Economic Education, Spring/Summer, 6. https://assets.aeaweb.org/asset-server/files/18320.pdf
Deloach, S.B., E. Perry-Sizemore, and M.O. Borg. 2012. “Creating Quality Undergraduate Research Programs in Economics: How, When, Where (and Why).” The American Economist 57(1):96–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/056943451205700108
Emerson, T.L.N., K.M. McGoldrick, and S.P. Simkins. 2023. “The Study of Economics at HBCUs and PWIs.” The Journal of Economic Education 55(1):1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2023.2261926
Fenn, A.J., D.K. Johnson, M.G. Smith, and J.L. Stimpert. 2010. “Doing Publishable Research with Undergraduate Students.” The Journal of Economic Education 41(3):259–274.
Fischer, A.E., K.R. Immel, K. Wilkum, and L.R. Lee. 2021. “Taxonomy for Developing Undergraduate Research Experiences as High-Impact Practices.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 21(1). https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v21i1.30564
Gitter, S. 2021. “A Guide for Student-led Undergraduate Research in Empirical Micro-Economics.” Journal of Economics Teaching 5(3):83–115.
Hoyt, G.M., and K.M. McGoldrick. 2017a. “Promoting Undergraduate Research in Economics.” American Economic Review 107(5):655–659. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20171069
Hoyt, G.M., and K.M. McGoldrick. 2017b. “Models of Undergraduate Research in Economics: Advice from Eight Exemplary Programs.” The Journal of Economic Education 48(4):288–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2017.1353465
Kuh, G.D. 2008. “High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter.” Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Li, I., and R.D. Simonson. 2016. “The Value of a Redesigned Program and Capstone Course in Economics.” International Review of Economics Education 22:48–58.
Liang, C.-L., S. Mooney, L. Kurkalova, D.K. Roper, and L. Hashemi-Beni. 2021. “Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Grant Writing for Ag/Applied Economists to Engage in Interdisciplinary Studies.” Applied Economics Teaching Resources 3(2):1–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.312078
Maier, M.H., K. McGoldrick, and S.P. Simkins. 2012. “Starting Point: Pedagogic Resources for Teaching and Learning Economics.” The Journal of Economic Education 43(2):215–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2012.660063
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Undergraduate Research Experiences for STEM Students: Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24622.
Russell, S.H., M.P. Hancock, and J. McCullough. 2007. “Benefits of Undergraduate Research Experiences.” Science 316(5824):548–549.
Santos, J., and A.M. Lavin. 2004. “Do as I Do, Not as I Say: Assessing Outcomes When Students Think Like Economists.” The Journal of Economic Education 35(2):148–161.
Siegfried, J.J. 2001. “Principles for a Successful Undergraduate Economics Honors Program.” The Journal of Economic Education 32(2):169–177.
Siegfried, J.J., and W.B. Walstad. 2014. “Undergraduate Coursework in Economics: A Survey Perspective.” The Journal of Economic Education 45(2):147–158.
Starting Point. “Teaching and Learning Economics.” https://serc.carleton.edu/econ/studentresearch/index.html.
Stößlein, M., and J.J. Kanet. 2016. “Undergraduate Research Experiences: Identifying Lessons Learned and Challenges for Business Schools.” The International Journal of Management Education 14(3):349–367.
Sue, S. 1999. “Science, Ethnicity, and Bias: Where Have We Gone Wrong?” American Psychologist 54(12):1070.
Tinto, V. 1975. “Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research.” Review of Educational Research 45(1):89–125.
Wagner, J. 2015. “A Framework for Undergraduate Research in Economics.” Southern Economic Journal 82(2):668–672.
Wong, B., Y-L.T. Chiu, O.M. Murray, and J. Horsburgh. 2022. “End of the Road? The Career Intentions of Underrepresented STEM Students in Higher Education.” International Journal of STEM Education 9(51):1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00366-8
Articles in this issue
Textbook Review of: Equilibrium Displacement Models: Theory, Applications, and Policy Analysis. By Gary W. Brester, Joseph A. Atwood, and Michael A. Boland
George Davis, Andrew Keller, Henry Kinnucan, Mike McCullough, Hikaru Hanawa Peterson, et al.
Reflecting on Using Reflection Exercises to Improve Student Learning and Teaching Effectiveness
Jaclyn D. Kropp
Innovate to Lead: Curriculum Innovations to Meet Students’ Needs in Applied Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Programs
Rachna Tewari , Na Zuo, Maria Bampasidou, Anthony Delmond, Lijiao Hu, Tanner McCarty, et al.
A Case Study on the Home Cooking Movement—Legalization, Market, and Competition
Suraj Gurung, Jonathan Ritacco, Lijun Angelia Chen and John Lai
Expanding Beyond Case Studies in Postgraduate Agribusiness Teaching to Enhance Experiential Benefits and Student/Teacher Outcomes
Alexandra Peralta, Craig Johns, and Adam Loch
Minority-Owned Agricultural Businesses and Challenges with the Paycheck Protection Program: Seeking Ways to Reach Farmers
Kevin Kim, Ana Claudia Sant’Anna and Iryna Demko
Applied Economic Models of Commodity and Input Markets to Assess Prices, Quantities, Farm and Other Input Supplier Impacts, and Consumer and Taxpayer Costs
Joe Dewbre, Wyatt Thompson, Sera Chiuchiarelli
Risk Management Education for Executives in the Food and Agriculture Industry
Emily Garwood and Brian K. Coffey
Teaching The Economics of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Mixed Motive Bargaining Simulation Game
Anukul Bhattari and George C. Davis
Demand Dashboards: Interactive Tools to Communicate Consumer Behavior
Justin D. Bina and Glynn T. Tonsor
Using NetLogo to Build an Agent-Based Model for Teaching Purposes at the Graduate Student Level
Bryan Collins and Chyi-Lyi (Kathleen) Liang
An Ignatian Pedagogical Approach to Fostering Conversations on BIPOC Farmland Ownership Through Film Screenings
Jacquelyn D. Wiersma-Mosley, Trey Malone, Logan G. Moss, and Wendell Scales Jr.
Expanding Undergraduate Research Experience: Opportunities, Challenges, and Lessons for the Future
April Athnos, Anna Josephson, Jeffrey D. Michler, and Lorin Rudin-Rush
Faculty Perspectives on Engaging Undergraduates in Agricultural and Applied Economics Research
John Lai, Jerrod Penn, and Misti Sharp
Educational Materials Addressing Industry and Market Developments: Introduction to the Special Issue
David Hall
Unraveling the Reintroduction of Hemp in the United States: A Case Study of the Supply and Demand During the (Re)Birth of an Industry
Jonathan D. Shepherd, Rebecca Hill, William Snell, Tyler Mark, Jane Kolodinsky and Hannah Lacasse
Integrating Agricultural Research into Undergraduate Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Courses
Risti Permani, Md Khairul Hidayatullah Basir, Kodrad Winarno, Bisakha Dewan, et.al
From Zero to Thesis in Two Years: A Curriculum Plan for Engaging Undergraduates in Honors Research
Caleb Stair, Xumin Zhang and Misti Sharp
Undergraduate Research Opportunities in an Applied Economics Program: Expanding Pathways for Economics Majors (and Beyond) at Land-Grant HBCUs
Huan Li, Lyubov Kurkalova, Scott Simkins and Shona Morgan
Undergraduate Applied Microeconomic Research with Demographic and Health Surveys
Seth R. Gitter, Chris M. Boyd, and Raissa Abbasi
Dare to Experiment: The Synergistic Relationship Between Undergraduate Research and Experimental Economics
Carl Nelson-Poteet , Lusi Xie, Kent D. Messer, and Leah H. Palm-Forster
Engaging Students in Open Dialogue about Use of AI Tools in Economics Courses
Zoë Plakias