In this episode we talk with Matt Notowidigdo about negotiating. Matt is a Professor of Economics at Chicago Booth. He holds a BS in economics, a BS in computer engineering, a MEng in computer science, and a PhD in economics. He is currently a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economics Research, and he is a co-editor at American Economic Journal - Economic Policy Notowidigdo and an Associate Editor at the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics. or of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.

In this episode we discussed:

• Matt’s structured approach to managing no more than six projects at a time
• Time management with kids and boundaries after tenure
• Institutional differences in how research and teaching loads are supported
• Why lunchtime culture matters for faculty community
• A crash course on academic job market negotiations

📚 Resources mentioned:

• BFI EDE (Expanding Diversity in Economics) program: https://bfi.uchicago.edu/ede
• AEA Summer Program at Howard University: https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/aeasp
• Book: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss – negotiation insights from a former FBI hostage negotiator

🎮 Recommendations of the week:

• Overcooked – a co-op kitchen game for Nintendo Switch
• 👶 Alex’s rec: PBS Kids Apps
• 🛫 Sebastian’s rec: Altos Odyssey

In this episode we talk with Mushfiq Mobarak on how to work with governments and large organizations to implement research. Mushfiq is a Professor of Economics at Yale University with concurrent appointments in the School of Management and in the Department of Economics. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE). He holds other appointments at Innovations for Poverty Action, the International Growth Centre (IGC) at LSE, and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics. or of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.

In this episode we discussed:

• The importance of teamwork, empathy, and comparative advantage in research
• Practical advice for managing research projects, teams, and work-life balance
• How to build partnerships with NGOs and governments for fieldwork
• Navigating organizational dynamics, credibility, and incentives
• Dealing with media attention and social media as a researcher
• Advice for early-career researchers

Recommendations of the Week:

• Mushfiq: Try Jamaican oxtail from a good Jamaican restaurant (for non-vegetarians)
• Alex: Merquén, a Chilean smoked chili spice blend, great on eggs and more
• Sebastian: Pisco Sour, a traditional Peruvian cocktail (with or without egg white)

Links & Resources:

• Mushfiq Mubarak’s website: som.yale.edu/mubarak
• Y-Rise: https://yrise.yale.edu
• Science Magazine policy forum on COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (March 11, 2022 issue) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo4089
• The NORMalizing mask-wearing program is a four-part, evidence-based model that tripled correct mask-wearing in rural Bangladesh and measurably reduced community-based COVID-19. https://poverty-action.org/masks

In this episode, we talk with Sandile Hlatshwayo about working in important institutions such as the Council of Economic Advisors and the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Sandile Hlatshwayo is an IMF economist who previously served as a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisors. She holds a PhD in Economics from UC Berkeley and works in international trade, finance, and macroeconomics. The conversation covers career paths in policy economics, day-to-day work at the CEA and IMF, the importance of mentoring, and practical advice for aspiring economists.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.

Organizations & Initiatives Mentioned:

• The Sadie Collective: Diversifying economics, especially for Black women. Annual conference in February, research symposiums, and partnerships with Brookings and the Chicago Fed. More info: 'The Sadie Collective | Developing Leaders in Economics & Related Fields
• AEA Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession (C^2): Support and mentoring for LGBTQ+ economists. Weekly research seminars and annual mentoring conference. Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession
• PhD Excellence Initiative (Stanford): Rigorous, fully funded pre-doc program for underrepresented students. Led by Peter Blair Henry. More info: The PhD Excellence Initiative - Welcome

Papers & Research Mentioned:

• Rising Import Tariffs, Falling Exports: When Modern Supply Chains Meet Old-Style Protectionism - American Economic Association
• The US-China Trade War and Global Reallocations - American Economic Association

Recommendations of the Week:

• Board game: Hues and Cues – a fun, color-based guessing game for families and friends.
• Office hack: Over-the-door bike hanger for saving space.
• Glasses: Zeni (https://www.zennioptical.com/) – affordable online prescription glasses

Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, leave a review, and check out the links above for more information on the organizations and resources discussed in this episode.

In this episode we talk with Jeremy Weber about applying statistical concepts and lessons into applying to the real world. Jeremy is a professor in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He has a PhD from the University of Wisconsin Madison and he is focused on the economics of environmental and energy issues. He has also worked as a research economist at a Federal statistical agency (the Economic Research Service) and as a chief economist at the White House. He is the author of the book “Statistics for Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Being Mostly Right (or at Least Respectably Wrong)”.

You can get his book through bookshop

Books & Papers

• Statistics for Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Being Mostly Right, or at Least Respectively Wrong by Jeremy Weber Book page at UChicago Press

• NBER Paper: "Difference in Difference in the Marketplace" NBER Working Paper 

• Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA ERS Website

• Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), White House CEA Website

Recommendations of the week:

• Show: "Masters of the Air" and "The Bloody 100th" (see above). Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) ⁠Apple TV+ link⁠

• The Bloody 100th (Documentary, Apple TV+) ⁠Apple TV+ link⁠
• App: Readwise – App for saving, highlighting, and resurfacing reading material. readwise.io

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.

In this episode, we talk with Tal Gross about new teaching techniques. Tal is a Professor in the Department of Markets, Public Policy & Law at Boston University. He is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on health insurance and household finance.

In this book, Tal shares about his new book “Better Health Economics”, which you can buy through Bookshop.org, Amazon, or the publisher’s website.

They are also giving out slides, exams, and active-learning exercises to instructors. If you are teaching health economics – or know someone who is – they can provide the materials.

1. Tal talked about his latest publication in economics just appeared in AER: Insights, and it’s joint work with Tim Layton and Daniel Prinz.
2. We talked about how to structure our day and refer to this article on Non-technical summary of decision fatigue.
3. We also talked about how interruptions affect your work, and here is the George Mason study on interruptions
4. We also talked about how writing is important and references the article: “One learns through the act of writing itself.”
5. The Elite Illusion
6. We also talked about an easy way to improve student evaluations: Cookies improve student evaluations
7. And two articles that argue against student evaluations One and Two
8. Here is a Great summary of active-learning methods in STEM classes
9. Awesome PNAS paper: active-learning method is more effective but feels less effective
10. In addition, Tal has put together A list I put together of resources on active-learning exercises
11. We talked about ModLab, which provides a number of great active learning resources.
12. Tal’s recommendation of the week is to get a stopwatch, which is useful for setting a time to work, cooking, and many other things!
13. Alex’s recommendation of the week is the book “Teaching Statistics: A bag of tricks” by  Andrew Gelman  (Author), Deborah Nolan
14. Sebastian’s recommendation of the week is Ommwriter, a minimalist and relaxing writing app

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.

In this episode, we talk with Nathaniel Hendren about his work in economics and policy evaluation. Nathaniel is a professor of economics at MIT and the founding director of Opportunity Insights and Policy Impacts. He has received prestigious awards such as the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and the Sloan Fellowship. Nathaniel is also the lead co-editor of the Journal of Public Economics and an associate editor at American Economic Review Insights.

The conversation covers various topics, including:

1. Nathaniel's background and work with Policy Insights and Policy Impacts
2. The concept of marginal value of public funds (MVPF) and its importance in policy evaluation
3. Challenges in identifying and communicating policy impacts
4. Nathaniel's role as an editor and advice for young scholars on journal submissions
5. Tips for refereeing and understanding journal processes
6. The importance of accountability and timeliness in academic publishing

Recommendations of the Week:
Nathaniel recommends a recent paper on the impact of SSI on crime by Manasi Deshpande and Michael Mueller-Smith
Alex recommends the email client Spark for better email management
Sebastian recommends transferring Chase points to Hyatt for affordable hotel stays.

In this episode, we talk with Samuel Mann about navigating academia as a queer individual/navigating queer research in economics. Sam is an Associate Economist at RAND Corporation. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Economics and LGBT+ Policy Lab. Sam received PhD in Economics from Swansea University in the UK in 2020.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics. 

Show notes:

In the episode, we mentioned many resources for people interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ opportunities:

Recommendations of the Week:

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Miller about accessing restricted data. Sarah Miller is an associate professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. She received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Sarah’s research interests are in health economics and, in particular, the short-term and long-term effects of public policies that expand health insurance coverage and the effects of income on health and well-being. In 2022, Dr. Miller was awarded the ASHEcon Medal, given by the American Society of Health Economists to an economist aged 40 or younger who has made the most significant contributions to the field of health economics. She is also a co-editor for the Journal of Public Economics.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor.

Show notes

Recommendations of the week:

In this episode, we talk with Gary Hoover. Hoov is the Executive Directory of the Murphy Institute and a Professor of Economics and Affiliate Professor of Law at ⁠Tulane University⁠.

⁠⁠Sebastian Tello-Trillo⁠⁠ is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia.

⁠⁠Alex Hollingsworth⁠⁠ is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University

Show notes:

In this episode, we talk with Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe. Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe is about her experience as founding and being the President of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER). WISER is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)3 research institute. WISER’s mission is to expand women-focused policy research to include the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women.

⁠Sebastian Tello-Trillo⁠ is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia.

⁠Alex Hollingsworth⁠ is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University

Show notes: