Events

  • Honouring Professor Joe Kushner’s Career and Retirement

    This academic year, the Department of Economics will be celebrating the retirement of Professor Joe Kushner, who has been part of Brock since 1969.

    Over the years, Joe has contributed in every way you can imagine – as a teacher, researcher, mentor, and leader. He was the first recipient of the Faculty of Social Sciences Teaching Excellence Award (2002), and in 2019 he marked 50 years at Brock with a $50,000 donation to support student awards.

    Joe has also contributed years of dedicated service to the Department and the University, including as Chair of the Economics Department (1980–1986), Director of Business Economics (1994–2010), and President of BUFA (1972–73).

    Outside Brock, Joe is well known in the Niagara community for decades of public service and volunteering. He has served as an elected municipal official in Niagara since 1976, and earlier this year published a book reflecting on that experience.

    For those of us in Economics, Joe is especially known as a great colleague –  supportive and always willing to share thoughtful advice. Many of us have benefited from his perspective, his generosity with time, and his genuine interest in helping others.

    We’re grateful for everything Joe has done for the Department, our students, and the broader community, and we wish him all the best in retirement.

    Categories: Events, News

  • New BESA Weekly Drop-in Econ Study

    The Brock Economics Students’ Association (BESA) is hosting a weekly Drop-in Econ Study session – an open, informal space for Economics students to study, work alongside peers, and meet other Econ students.

    When: Tuesdays, 5:00–8:00pm
    Where: PLZ 408

    All Economics students welcome – just drop in!

    Categories: Events, News

  • Economics Seminar Series: Diego Zambiasi 

    Dr. Diego Zambiasi from Newcastle University will be presenting his paper “Gangs of London” (with Nils Braakmann) next Thursday, November 13 between 2:00pm-3:30pm virtually on MS Teams. Everyone is welcome to join!

    If you are interested in attending, please contact Professor Taylor Wright ([email protected]) to obtain the meetings details.

    Categories: Events, News

  • Graduate Studies Information Session

    Our Graduate Studies & MBE Information Session will be held on Wednesday, November 12, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. Join us to learn about graduate study opportunities and the MBE program at Brock.

    Categories: Events, News

  • Exploring Careers in Economics and Business Economics Career Panel

    Please join us for a panel exploring careers in economics and business economics on Wednesday Nov. 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

    We will be hosting several former MBE graduates who have gone on to do great things.

    The list of panelists includes:

    • Brad Rossen, NHLPA Certified Player Agent, CAA Hockey
    • Corey Carlton, Competition Law Officer, Competition Bureau
    • Madeline Arnott, Payments Analyst, Meridian Credit Union
    • Connor Jakobschuk, Senior Consultant, Watson & Associates Economists LTD
    • Emmanuel Yeboah, Senior Data Analyst/User Acceptance Analyst, RBC
    • Andrew Brown, Personal Banker, TD
    • Georgie Gagnon, Data Application Engineer

    Please follow the QR code link to register via CareerZone. You can also register on ExperienceBU.

     

     

    Categories: Events, News

  • Economics Seminar Series: Noah Spencer 

    PhD candidate at the University of Toronto Noah Spencer will be presenting his paper “Neighbourhoods, Schools, and Funding: Evidence on the On-Reserve/Off-Reserve Indigenous Education Gap” on  Thursday, October 23, from 2:00-3:30pm in STH216. Please join us!

    Categories: Events, News

  • Visiting speaker (Oct. 28)

    Donn Feir

    The Department of Economics kicks off this year’s Research Seminar Series with “Understanding Mental Health Differences Between Cisgender and Gender Minority Youth: Evidence from Within-Family Comparisons” presented by Donn Feir, Professor of Economics at the University of Victoria. Using data from the 2021 Canadian Census, Feir has documented substantial differences—ranging from 30 to 40 percentage points—in the prevalence of mental health conditions between cisgender youths and their gender minority counterparts. Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in TH 255!

    Categories: Events

  • Visiting speaker (February 4)

    David Ong

    Professor of Economics David Ong from Jinan University-University of Birmingham Joint Institute will be presenting his paper, “Gender differences in the mating and cross-productivity effects of competitiveness on partner income,” co-authored with Ga Hye (Rosalyn) Jeon, on Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in GSB 206. Please join us!

    Categories: Events

  • Visiting speaker (November 22)

    Sam Norris (UBC) will be joining us on Friday, November 22nd from 11:30am-1:00pm in GSB306. Sam will be presenting his paper “Mobile Crisis Response Teams Support Better Policing: Evidence from CAHOOTS” (with Jon Davis, Jadon Schmitt, Yotam Shem-Tov, and Chelsea Strickland).
    Abstract

    This paper studies the use of mobile crisis teams—a non- uniformed pair consisting of a mental health worker and a medic—as either a substitute or complement to traditional police units responding to 911 calls involving mental illness, homelessness, addiction, and other non-dangerous situations. We evaluate the longest-running mobile crisis response program in the U.S., Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) in Eugene, Oregon. We find that a series of expansions of CAHOOTS into new areas and times reduced the likelihood that a 911 call resulted in an arrest, and had the long-term benefit of reducing the number of follow-up 911 calls from the same address. However, CAHOOTS often responds to the same calls as the police, acting as complement rather than a substitute. The reduction in arrests likely reflects CAHOOTS’ role in de-escalating tense situations and resolving incidents without coercive measures. After the initial expansions, additional CAHOOTS capacity is used mostly for calls that would otherwise go unanswered. We conclude that crisis response teams play an important role as a complement to the police, rather than only acting as substitutes. Further expansions are likely to have only limited effects on reducing police responses

    Categories: Events

  • Visiting speaker (November 18)

    Tianyi Wang (U Toronto, NBER, IZA) will be presenting his paper, McCarthyism, Media, and Political Repression: Evidence from Hollywood. Please find the paper attached and the abstract below. The presentation is taking place on Monday, November 18th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in PLZ410.
    Abstract
    Demagogues have existed throughout history, yet their impact on individuals and society remains little understood. We study a far-reaching episode of demagoguery in American history. From the late 1940s to 1950s, anti-communist hysteria led by Senator Joseph McCarthy and others gripped the nation. Hollywood was a prime target, with hundreds of professionals in the industry being accused of having communist ties or sympathies. To study the Red Scare in Hollywood, we assemble a unique collection of data on individual and film characteristics, spanning the period 1930-1970. We show that the anti-communist accusations targeted progressive personalities with dissenting views. Implementing a difference-in-differences design, we find that accused actors and screenwriters experienced a significant setback in their careers that lasted a decade or more. Beyond the effects on the accused, we also document a decline in progressive films during the McCarthy era. We provide suggestive evidence that this shift in film content made society more conservative, using newly-digitized data on movie theaters across US counties. Areas with greater movie exposure saw increased Republican support in presidential elections after the onset of the Hollywood Red Scare. Our results highlight how demagoguery can suppress civil liberties and reshape political preferences in society.
    Categories: Events