This spring, we honor the 2020 Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics students who have earned honors in the field of economics. The honors designation is awarded to students whose exemplary performance in academics distinguishes them as young professionals as they graduate and move on to their next great adventure.
According to Stephen Onyeiwu, Ph.D., Department Chair, ”the Economics Department awards honors to students who have earned a minimum GPA of 3.5 in Economics, and at least a B+ in both the senior project and senior seminar plus an A- in one of these two. These are very high standards, and the department is delighted that a large number of the class of 2020 have received honors in Economics. Congratulations to our honorees for their stellar accomplishments, and we wish them success in their future endeavors.”
The following class of 2020 students have earned the department’s special honors:
The Prize of Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants is awarded for excellence in accounting studies. This prize is awarded to Keith Irvin ‘20.
The Economics Senior Project Prize is awarded for the best senior project assigned annually by the Department of Economics to encourage understanding and good scholarship. This prize is awarded to Jacqueline Kelley-Cogdell ’20.
The Graduate Student’s Prize in Economics is awarded to seniors whose achievement has been outstanding, and whose promise as a graduate student is substantial. This prize is awarded to both Matt Massucci ’20 and Graham Tufts ’20.
The Outstanding Achievement Prize in Economics is given to seniors with an outstanding record in economics and their positive contribution to the vitality of the department. This prize is awarded to both Emma Black ’20 and Jacqueline Kelley-Cogdell ’20.
The Outstanding Junior Major Prize is awarded for exceptional academic achievement, performance in the seminar, and their positive contribution to the vitality of the department. This prize is awarded to Rachel Tobler ’21.
The following Senior projects have earned Honors recognition:
| Rafael Balanquet | “The Effect of the Slope of the Treasury Yield Curve on Private Nonresidential Fixed Investment in the United States’ Economy” |
| Matthew Bauer | “The Influence of the Tobacco Industry on State Legislatures’ Tobacco Control Laws” |
| Autumn Bicko (Sliker-Parker) | “The Failing Market of the Education System Under School Choice” |
| Emma Black | “The Effects of Female Representation on the Gender Wage Gap” |
| Trevor Day | “Stock Market Seasonality: An Empirical Analysis Using the CAPM” |
| Christian Geer | “Exploring the Predictive Power of Twitter Sentiment on Stock Price Movements” |
| Gillian Greene | “Reliable Recipients? When Rent-Seeking Behaviors Complicate Counterterrorism Efforts” |
| Ukasha Javed | “Determinants of Economic Growth In Developing and Developed Countries” |
| Sean Kealey | “The Driving Forces Behind Mergers, Acquisitions and Joint Ventures Between Macrobrewers in the 21st Century” |
| Jacqueline Kelley-Cogdell | “The Economic Impacts of Rural Public Transportation” |
| Bret Kelly | “The Impacts of Ethics on Principal-Agent Problems and Corporate Performance” |
| Matt Massucci | “An Analysis of the Change in the Market Structure of the Tooling and Machining Industry in Crawford County, Pennsylvania” |
| John Nagel | “Potential Factors that Impact Hotel Revenue in Belize” |
| Haley Seifert | “Does Knowing a Second Language Affect Income?” |
| Anh Ta | “The Road to Zero: Regulating Carbon Emissions” |
| Liam Wilby | “An Empirical Investigation into England National Sporting Teams Impact on the FTSE100 Market Index” |
| Graham Tufts | “Nothing New Under the Sun: The Origins and Effects of the Chicago Boys Neoliberalism” |
Congratulations to these outstanding students! #AlleghenyStrong
The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics attracts Allegheny’s next generation of business innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a host of co-curricular activities that connect with and deepen their classroom experiences.