AEASP 2024 Scholar Meghan Carpenter

Meghan Carpenter is a senior undergraduate student majoring in economics with a minor in mathematics. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she is deeply connected to her community. Her academic interests lie in urban and labor economics and economic inequality. She aspires to pursue graduate studies in economics in the future. I am excited about honing my economic and math skills and gaining deeper insights into the field of economics.

AEASP 2024 Scholar Theo Burden

Theo C. Burden is a senior graduating in May 2024 pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. She attends Spelman College where she was recently accepted to be a Lisa D. Cook scholar. During her time at Spelman, she developed an interest in social policy research and sought out additional research opportunities, such as being selected to participate in the University of Michigan's 2023 inaugural Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience (ASPIRE) program.

AEASP 2024 Scholar Bontu Ankit Patro

My name is Ankit and I am a junior majoring in Economics and international relations. I grew up in Bhubaneswar, India, and moved to the United States in Fall 2021. At BU, I am a research assistant at the Global Development Policy Center, where I work on research aiming to expand the lending capacity of multilateral development banks and mobilize trillions of investments for climate change. My interest lies in researching and creating policies to expand the global financial safety net and create tools to mitigate financial crises.

AEASP 2024 Scholars

AEASP 2024 Scholar Edgar Aguirre

Edgar Aguirre is a first-generation college student from the Bronx, NY, who is interested in using economic theory, data, and law to influence policies that create opportunities for underrepresented communities. He graduated from Carleton College with a BA in Economics and is currently finishing a second bachelor's degree in mathematics at CUNY Hunter College.

AEASP 2024 Faculty Yusra Alkasasbeh

I am a newly minted Economic PhD graduate. My main areas of interest are growth and development, applied microeconomics, inequality of opportunity, labor market discrimination, and education inequality. I received my MA and PhD from the Department of Economics at Howard University in Washington, DC. Before starting the PhD, I received my master’s in Finance and Banking from the Institute of Banking studies in Amman, Jordan.

AEASP 2024 Faculty Felipe Juan

Felipe Juan is an incoming postdoctoral scholar at the Center for an Equitable Economy and Sustainable Society (E2S2) at Howard University. His research focuses are in labor and urban economics. Specifically, his research focuses on equitable access to unemployment insurance and how eligibility requirements impact unemployment benefit recipiency rates.

AEASP 2024 Fellow Darien Kearney

Darien Kearney is a Ph.D. student in economics at Howard University focusing on Behavioral Economics. Darien started his academic journey at Sam Houston State University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Banking Services (double major) and a Master of Business Administration in Finance.

AEASP 2024 Fellow  Le Nguyen

Le Thi Nguyen, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at Howard University, brings a distinguished academic background from Vietnam, having secured the first rank in both B.S. and M.A. degrees. With an impressive 14 years of experience in research, teaching, and writing book chapters in microeconomics and macroeconomics, her expertise lies in analyzing the impact of fiscal and monetary policies on economic growth. She extends this knowledge to the micro-level, studying customer and firm behavior and researching policies to enhance export activities in Vietnam.

AEASP 2024 Fellow Claudia Njilla

I am Claudia Njilla, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at Howard University in Washington D.C. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Economics Management and a Master's degree in Banking and Finance from the Catholic University of Central Africa in Cameroon. Before joining the Ph.D. program in Economics, I've accumulated 10 years of experience in Banking sector with focused in Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Syndicated Loan, KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) Risk Management and more...