This special issue of the Duke Journal of Economics features papers presented at the Third Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, held on April 8-9, 2005. The Symposium is an economics research conference open to all undergraduates studying at North Carolina institutions, initiated in 2002 in order to recognize the accomplishments and contributions that undergraduate research represents.
The Symposium is organized much like a competitive professional conference. Paper proposals were due in mid-February, and then reviewed by a committee of Duke undergraduates and faculty. The Selection Committee invited nine authors to present their papers at the Symposium, offering constructive criticism on the proposals in order to help the authors write or revise their papers. In addition to completing their papers, the authors also prepared 20-minute Powerpoint presentations for the Symposium, which were followed by audience discussion.
Over half of the papers this year had an international focus or international aspect, primarily dealing with the economics of developing countries. These papers included studies on the returns to education in South America, the effect of race on wage disparity in Bolivia, a growth model for sub-Saharan Africa, and the relationship between financial liberalization and corporate governance reform. A final internationally focused paper examined economic influences on the voting behavior of the Palestinian minority in Israel.
Two other papers had a local focus, including one paper on “Amenity-Led Development” in the Asheville area, and one on the relationship between socioeconomic status and exposure to fine particulate air pollution in North Carolina. Papers on the motivations for corporate philanthropy and on the history of the concept of “the good life” in economic thought rounded out the Symposium.
We commend all of the authors for the hard work and dedication that they demonstrated in producing such high quality research papers. Special congratulations go to Ailian Gan of Duke University, whose paper “The Impact of Public Scrutiny on Corporate Philanthropy” won the Best Paper Prize. Congratulations also go to Rachel Heath of Duke, whose paper “Explaining Racial Wage Disparity in Bolivia” was the Runner-Up.
Many people contributed to the success of the Symposium and they have our sincere gratitude. We begin with the Paper Selection Committee, particularly Wendy Wang, Aisha Taylor, and Will Hinckley, who served as Session Chairs. The staff of the EcoTeach Center was equally essential to the success of the Symposium. Dorothy Armento, Molly Brown, and Jennifer Socey did a great job of planning the logistics and the leaders of the Economic Student Union, Phil Neuhart, Mac Conforti, and Ravi Patel, executed those plans flawlessly.
Special thanks go to Professor Marek Gora of the Warsaw School of Economics, who traveled to Duke and gave an outstanding keynote address at the Symposium Recognition Banquet. Finally, our thanks go to the Allen Starling Johnson Jr. Fund, the EcoTeach Center, and the Department of Economics for their financial support of the Symposium.
We invite you to enjoy all of the Symposium papers in this issue, and we look forward to next year.
Connel Fullenkamp
Articles
The Influence of Class and Ethno-religious Identity on Voting Strategies: A Case of the Palestinian Minority in Israel by Wifag Adnan
The Good Life in the History of Economic Thought by Antoine P.J. Artiganave
Measuring the Value of Place: A Case Study of Recent College Graduates by Kate Fuller
The Impact of Public Scrutiny on Corporate Philanthropy by Ailian Gan
Explaining Racial Wage Disparity in Bolivia by Rachel Heath
Financial Market Development: Does financial liberalization induce regulatory governance reform? by Shiying Lee
Explaining Rates of Return to Schooling in Three South American Countries by Daniel K. McCready
A Growth Model of Sub-Suharan Africa by Anna Ramsey
