CSUB receives prestigious American Economic Association grant

By California State University, Bakersfield

February 27^th, 2024

Last month, the Department of Economics in the School of Business and Public Administration received the 2023 Departmental Seed Grant for Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion by the American Economic Association (AEA).

This one-time award is open to US-based economics departments in an amount up to $5,000 to help establish a new "bridge program" or training program. Departments would use these funds to develop a program for underrepresented minorities which include persons who identify as American Indian, Alaskan Native, Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic (including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central or South American origin) or Pacific Islander.

Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Richard Ryan led the grant application process and Associate Professor of Ecomonics Dr. Nyakundi Michieka attended the conference to receive the recognition. The Deans Office in the School of Business and Public Administration will also match the grant, bringing the total to $10,000.

"With the grant from the American Economic Association, the Economics Department at CSUB wants to share opportunities offered by earning an economics degree," the department said. "Many economics graduates work at consulting firms, central banks, or government agencies like the Congressional Budget Office. Others go to law school or earn Master of Business Administration degrees. The AEA grant will allow us, the economics faculty, to work directly with students to prepare them for these opportunities."

When asked what this grant will mean for the Department of Economics, it expressed that it will help students learn about topics such as agriculture, air pollution, income gaps as well as the impact of artificial intelligence in the job market.

"Economics has something for everyone—no topic is out of bounds," the department said. "And economists' willingness to take on the most challenging and urgent questions means economists use tools from history, philosophy, psychology, statistics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, earth science. Economics is inclusive in nature."