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Lycoming College quantitative economics major Rafael Lubiano Rodriguez ’23 of Houston was awarded a full scholarship to attend the American Economics Association (AEA) Summer Program at Howard University. The program is designed to help underrepresented groups develop technical skills in the field of economics as they prepare for graduate school or employment as a professional economists.
The AEA Summer and Scholarship Program strives to increase diversity in the field of economics by equipping undergraduates with skills and connections in preparation for doctoral studies. According to the website, as many as 20 percent of doctoral degrees awarded to minorities in economics over the past 20 years are graduates of the program. Students accepted into the program attend four classes, participate in seminars, and take educational field trips to places such as Washington, D.C., and the Federal Reserve Board, as well as other famous monuments and museums.
Rodriguez found out about the opportunity from his advisor, Elizabeth Moorhouse, Ph.D., department chair and associate professor of economics at Lycoming College. “Raf is an ideal candidate for the AEA’s Summer Program. He is a terrific student with an interest in economic inequality who has the potential to make meaningful contributions to our understanding of economic outcomes for the less privileged in our society,” she said.
The program offers two levels, Foundations and Advanced, to better individualize the program to the student’s background. As part of the Foundations level, Rodriguez will be placed with a think tank, a non-profit organization, or a government agency to attain research experience. Along with making valuable connections, students involved in the Foundations level are additionally paid a stipend of $3,250.
After graduation from Lycoming College, Rodriguez hopes to continue his education at the graduate level and study how to help disadvantaged children. “There is only so much money our government is willing to spend on helping disadvantaged communities,” said Rodriguez. “I want to make sure the little money that is allocated to helping people is put to good use.”
Lycoming College’s department of economics helps students examine important questions at the heart of modern, real-world economics debates and utilize theoretical models and facts to carefully analyze and answer those questions. More information on studying economics at Lycoming is available at https://www.lycoming.edu/economics/.