SPRING 2024

***Registration is required for all events; MSPE students check Illinois email for notifications***

Marcelo Cunha Medeiros, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
12:30 - 1:50 PM
123 DKH
Topic: Economics in the Age of AI

Caterpillar (field trip)
Friday, February 16, 2024
Peoria, IL
Will include tour of Track Type Tractor assembly plant and Visitor's Center.

New York City (spring break field trip)
March 10 - 15, 2024
Students will participate in four presentations at organizations such as the United Nations, Council on Foreign Relations, Moody's, and TIAA.

Pablo Acosta, Lead Economist, World Bank, Social Protection and Jobs Global Unit (seminar)
Monday, March 25, 2024
12:30 - 1:50 PM
317 David Kinley Hall
Topic: The World Bank and its Migration and Development Agenda

Stephen Parente, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
12:30 - 1:50 PM
123 David Kinley Hall
Topic: What Makes a Country Rich? Political and Economic Losers as a Barrier to Riches

Graduation Dinner (social event)
Friday, May 10, 2024
6 – 9  pm
Chancellor Ballroom, I Hotel Conference Center
Dinner honoring our spring and/or summer 2024 graduating students.

FALL 2023

Orientation (mandatory for incoming fall 2023 students)
August 14 - 19, 2023
Fall 2023 MSPE Orientation Schedule
Various University of Illinois campus locations
Opportunity to get to know the other students in the program, learn more about specifics about their course of study and campus.

R & Python Training Workshop (workshop)
6:00 - 7:50 PM (Schedule denoted below)
Location: See below
Data analysis and model making is becoming more important both in research and in the job market. R and Python are two important software tools that may give you a competitive edge whether you want to pursue a degree or enter/reenter the job market. This training will provide you with an opportunity start the process of learning these two software programs. Note these software programs will also be used in some of the MSPE program courses.

August 21 - 25, 2023
Location: 101 Armory
R Training - by Professor Joshua Shea

August 28 - September 1, 2023
Location: 114 DKH
Python Training - by Professor Jorge Lemus

Serpil Kahraman, UIUC Visiting Scholar, Associate Professor, Yasar University (Izmir, Turkey) (Seminar)
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Green Central Banking in the transition to a greener economy

Green Central Banking (GCB) can be defined as central banking that takes account of environmental risks, including risks from climate change, that may adversely affect the economy and the development of the financial sector.

This talk explains how GCB alters a central bank's core responsibility of ensuring economic stability and explains how GCB provides for a greener economy.

MSPE Social Event
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Location: Outside DKH on southeast side (if inclement weather, will move event inside in room 114 DKH)
An opportunity for incoming and continuing MSPE students, program staff, and Economics faculty to interact. Engage in some fun activities and enjoy some pizza.

MSPE Career Boot Camp (workshop)
Thursday, September 7, 2023
12:30 - 3:20 PM
Location: To be determined
Contemplating an internship via CPT or OPT? This three-hour workshop will prepare you by covering topics such as composing your resume and cover letters, best practices for networking with employers & alumni, interviewing at campus career fairs, and tips & tricks to interviewing in the U.S.

Library Resources Presentation (seminar)
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Presented by Professor Nancy O'Brien, University Library Head, Illinois Social Sciences, Health & Education Library
Focus: How best to utilize the University Library's immense resources in the most efficient and reliable way for your research projects

Marcelo Cunha Medeiros, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning in Economics and Finance

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (field trip)
October 5 - 7, 2023
Chicago, IL
CMAP is the comprehensive planning organization for the 7 counties and 284 communities of northeastern Illinois. An interactive panel will discuss regional economic policy with a few of their in-house experts and perhaps other agencies, who will also share their background and how they found their way to regional economic policy. A tour of their historical building, The Old Post Office, will be included.

Ph.D. Informational Session (seminar)
Thursday, October 12, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
If you are a MSPE student who is planning to apply for  Ph.D. program, we highly suggest you attend this informational session conducted by Professor Stefan Krasa.

Benjamin Marx, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Research in Public Economics

Dr. Marx will discuss projects from two major research agendas: financial aid for college students, and charitable giving as social insurance.

The first project estimates the effects of student loans. Many colleges are discouraging the use of student loans in a variety of ways, including not showing loans in students' financial aid award letters. A field experiment at a college that was willing to randomize what was shown in letters shows show this affects students' educational outcomes.

The second project estimates charitable giving in response to natural disasters. This project uses very recent tools for observational studies. It quantifies donations and shows the time and distance over which people give. Equity analysis reveals a surprising divergence between what donors want to support and what actually receives the most support.

Jorge Lemus, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Regulation and Innovation

J. Fred Giertz, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Long-Run Fiscal Stability: Can it be Attained?

Serpil Kahraman, UIUC Visiting Scholar, Associate Professor, Yasar University (Izmir, Turkey) (Seminar)
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Leading Indicators of Currency Crisis

George Deltas, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Trade Clubs and International Environmental Agreements

Thanksgiving Luncheon (social event)
Friday, November 17, 2023
11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Illini Room C, Illini Union

Daniela Alonso Fontes, University of Illinois (seminar)
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
12:30 - 1:50 PM
119 David Kinley Hall
Topic: Data Analysis and the Econ Lab

Holiday Party (social event)
Friday, December 15, 2023
5:30 - 8:30 pm
Illinois Ballroom, I Hotel Conference Center

Graduation Dinner (social event)
Saturday, December 16, 2023
6 – 9  pm
Chancellor Ballroom, I Hotel Conference Center
Dinner honoring our fall 2023 graduating students.