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Main Course : ECON 485 , The Economics of Sustainability , Conservation , and Pandemics
Appetizers : ECON 200 , MATH 102
Master Chef : Professor Ted Loch-Temzelides
Dinner is Served : Fall 2021 , Mondays , Wednesdays and Friday , 11:00-11:50 am
Come enjoy a gastroeconomical delight !
New Course on the Menu
ECON 485 will cover issues related to conservation , sustainability , and pandemics from an economics point of view . This means that , in addition to discussing the need for conservation policies , we will emphasize the requirement that , in order to be effective , such policies need to be compatible with economic incentives . Topics will include the need for conservation policies and planning , how science informs conservation strategies , incentives and the design of conservation agreements , and the role of agriculture and climate change . We will also study biodiversity , the value of ecosystem services , and the effects of climate change . COVID-19 is the most recent in a long sequence of pandemics affecting human health and well-being . It will not be the last . Policies to reduce the likelihood of pandemic emergence , as well as the effects of pandemics like influenza , HIV , and COVID-19 on the global economy will also be discussed . We will emphasize the need for cooperation across national boundaries , as well as how policies related to deforestation and wildlife markets can affect the likelihood of zoonotic pandemic emergence . The course should be of interest to students studying economics , global health policy , conservation , sustainability , and environmental issues .
New Summer Course Offering
We are delighted to announce that our summer school course lineup will include a course that has not been offered by the department for some time – ECON 415 , Labor Economics ( we will also offer our familiar standbys , ECON 100 ( Principles of Economics ) taught by Jimmy DeNicco and ECON 203 ( Macroeconomics ) taught by Amelie Carlton ). Labor Economics will be taught by Rice graduate student Hira Farooqi , who is writing her dissertation under the supervision of Professor Flávio Cunha . RICE ECON had a few questions for Hira :
Hira , can you tell us a little bit about yourself ?
I am a 5th year student in the Economics PhD program . I grew up in Pakistan where I completed my undergraduate education . The US has been my second home since 2012 when I came here to study for my Master ’ s degree in economics at New York University on a Fulbright Scholarship . My research focuses on the economics of gender and family . I am particularly interested in studying how culture and institutions affect women ’ s decisions regarding labor supply , human capital investment , fertility and marriage .
What do you plan to teach in ECON 415 and what are the prerequisites ?
Econ 415 is an introductory course in labor economics . It is structured in two parts . The first introduces the basic theoretical tools needed to analyze the supply and demand of labor and the nature of equilibria in the labor markets . The second part focuses on the application of these tools to study central themes in the labor economics literature , including topics such as trends in the participation of women in the labor market , returns to investment in human capital , and evidence of labor market discrimination . The prerequisite is intermediate microeconomics ( ECON 200 ).
Who is the course designed for – or , for our English double majors , for whom is the course designed ?
The course is designed for any student with an interest in labor markets , including empirical analyses of critical labor market issues , as well as students with interests in public policy . For example , we will examine topics such as the ongoing debate surrounding the effects of minimum wages and supply side interventions in education provision . The course will also be particularly helpful for students who are planning to pursue graduate studies in economics .
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