AEASP | Howard University Department of Economics

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Subodh Raj Pandey is a doctoral student at the Department of Economics at Howard University in Washington, DC, specializing in Labor and Urban economics. His prior research experience lies within the realm of food safety, food wastage, climate change, and consumer behavior. He aims to contribute meaningfully to the development of an economically viable and equitable society by narrowing the economic disparity between the privileged and marginalized through productivity growth. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, playing games, and watching movies.

I am a native New Yorker, that currently resides in Maryland. I have previously worked, as a Math teacher for 10 years, and a government accountant for 15 years. I enjoy: reading, running, singing, and watching movies. Finding economics as my eventual study was a semesters-long process, as I transitioned from engineering to math, and then finally to economics. Economics allowed me to marry my passion for demographics with my affinity for math, into a study that spoke to most of my interest

Dr. Jevay Grooms is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Howard University. She is an applied microeconomist with research that lies at the intersection of public economics, health economics, and studies of poverty and inequality.

Dr. Tingting Xiong is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Howard University's Department of Economics, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in International Economics. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Her research projects focus on international capital flows, multinational corporation activities, international trade, and economic growth.

Sergio Urzua is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland. He is a Research Associate at the NBER, Research Fellow at IZA, and International Research Fellow at Clapes-UC. His research focuses on labor, development and applied econometrics. His research agenda includes the evaluation of social/policy interventions in developing economies. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2007.

Department of Economics

AEASP 2024 Scholar Theo Burden

AEASP 2024 Scholar Bontu Ankit Patro

AEASP 2024 Scholar Edgar Aguirre

AEASP 2024 Faculty Felipe Juan

AEASP 2024 Fellow Darien Kearney

AEASP 2024 Fellow Subodh Pandey

AEASP 2024 Fellow Vincent Cobb

AEASP 2024 Faculty Jevay Grooms

AEASP 2024 Faculty Tingting Xiong

AEASP 2024 Faculty Sergio Urzua