The Hidden Curriculum

Matt Notowidigdo, a Professor of Economics at Chicago Booth, dives into the art of negotiation, sharing his extensive experience in the academic job market. He discusses crucial negotiation strategies, including prioritizing research support over salary for new faculty. Matt emphasizes the importance of knowing your allies in negotiations and offers practical advice on framing final demands. He also highlights the value of putting informal commitments into writing and benchmarks for salary discussions. Plus, he shares tips on work-life balance while managing an academic career and family.

In this episode we talk with Mushfiq Mobarak on how to work with governments and large organizations to implement research. Mushfiq is a Professor of Economics at Yale University with concurrent appointments in the School of Management and in the Department of Economics. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE). He holds other appointments at Innovations for Poverty Action, the International Growth Centre (IGC) at LSE, and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT.Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics. or of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.In this episode we discussed:The importance of teamwork, empathy, and comparative advantage in researchPractical advice for managing research projects, teams, and work-life balanceHow to build partnerships with NGOs and governments for fieldworkNavigating organizational dynamics, credibility, and incentivesDealing with media attention and social media as a researcherAdvice for early-career researchersRecommendations of the Week:Mushfiq: Try Jamaican oxtail from a good Jamaican restaurant (for non-vegetarians)Alex: Merquén, a Chilean smoked chili spice blend, great on eggs and moreSebastian: Pisco Sour, a traditional Peruvian cocktail (with or without egg white)Links & Resources:Mushfiq Mubarak’s website: som.yale.edu/mubarakY-Rise: https://yrise.yale.eduScience Magazine policy forum on COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (March 11, 2022 issue) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo4089The NORMalizing mask-wearing program is a four-part, evidence-based model that tripled correct mask-wearing in rural Bangladesh and measurably reduced community-based COVID-19. https://poverty-action.org/masks

In this episode, we talk with Sandile Hlatshwayo about working in important institutions such as the Council of Economic Advisors and the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Sandile Hlatshwayo is an IMF economist who previously served as a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisors. She holds a PhD in Economics from UC Berkeley and works in international trade, finance, and macroeconomics. The conversation covers career paths in policy economics, day-to-day work at the CEA and IMF, the importance of mentoring, and practical advice for aspiring economists.Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.Organizations & Initiatives Mentioned:The Sadie Collective: Diversifying economics, especially for Black women. Annual conference in February, research symposiums, and partnerships with Brookings and the Chicago Fed. More info: 'The Sadie Collective | Developing Leaders in Economics & Related FieldsAEA Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession (C^2): Support and mentoring for LGBTQ+ economists. Weekly research seminars and annual mentoring conference. Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics ProfessionPhD Excellence Initiative (Stanford): Rigorous, fully funded pre-doc program for underrepresented students. Led by Peter Blair Henry. More info: The PhD Excellence Initiative - WelcomePapers & Research Mentioned:Rising Import Tariffs, Falling Exports: When Modern Supply Chains Meet Old-Style Protectionism - American Economic AssociationThe US-China Trade War and Global Reallocations - American Economic AssociationRecommendations of the Week:Board game: Hues and Cues – a fun, color-based guessing game for families and friends.Office hack: Over-the-door bike hanger for saving space.Glasses: Zeni (https://www.zennioptical.com/) – affordable online prescription glassesThank you for listening! Please subscribe, leave a review, and check out the links above for more information on the organizations and resources discussed in this episode.

In this episode we talk with Jeremy Weber about applying statistical concepts and lessons into applying to the real world. Jeremy is a professor in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He has a PhD from the University of Wisconsin Madison and he is focused on the economics of environmental and energy issues. He has also worked as a research economist at a Federal statistical agency (the Economic Research Service) and as a chief economist at the White House. He is the author of the book “Statistics for Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Being Mostly Right (or at Least Respectably Wrong)”.You can get his book through bookshopBooks & PapersStatistics for Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Being Mostly Right, or at Least Respectively Wrong by Jeremy Weber Book page at UChicago PressNBER Paper: "Difference in Difference in the Marketplace" NBER Working Paper Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA ERS WebsiteCouncil of Economic Advisers (CEA), White House CEA WebsiteRecommendations of the week:Show: "Masters of the Air" and "The Bloody 100th" (see above). Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) ⁠Apple TV+ link⁠The Bloody 100th (Documentary, Apple TV+) ⁠Apple TV+ link⁠App: Readwise – App for saving, highlighting, and resurfacing reading material. readwise.ioSebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.

Tal Gross, a Professor at Boston University and a Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, discusses innovative teaching techniques in health economics. He shares insights from his book, 'Better Health Economics,' emphasizing the importance of active learning over traditional lectures. The conversation dives into the impact of distractions on productivity and offers strategies for decision-making. Additionally, Gross highlights how simple actions, like providing cookies, can improve student evaluations and explores effective writing as a tool for clarity in teaching.

In this discussion, Nathaniel Hendren, a renowned MIT economist and director of Opportunity Insights, shares his wealth of knowledge on public policy evaluation. He explains the marginal value of public funds and its crucial role in effective policy-making. Hendren also touches on the challenges of communicating complex economic impacts and offers valuable advice to budding scholars about journal submissions. Plus, he emphasizes the importance of accountability in academic publishing, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of the economics landscape.

In this episode, we talk with Samuel Mann about navigating academia as a queer individual/navigating queer research in economics. Sam is an Associate Economist at RAND Corporation. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Economics and LGBT+ Policy Lab. Sam received PhD in Economics from Swansea University in the UK in 2020. Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University. Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.  Show notes: In the episode, we mentioned many resources for people interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ opportunities: American Economic Association CSQIEP Queer Economics Mentoring Conference Economics of LGBTQ+ Individuals Virtual Seminar Series LGBTQ Research starter pack by Dario Sansone Sam's current favorite paper: A Review of the Economics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Recommendations of the Week: Sam recommends checking out Data is Plural Alex recommends rollerblade wheels for your office chair Sebastian recommends a super easy recipe for Pomodoro sauce

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Miller about accessing restricted data. Sarah Miller is an associate professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. She received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Sarah’s research interests are in health economics and, in particular, the short-term and long-term effects of public policies that expand health insurance coverage and the effects of income on health and well-being. In 2022, Dr. Miller was awarded the ASHEcon Medal, given by the American Society of Health Economists to an economist aged 40 or younger who has made the most significant contributions to the field of health economics. She is also a co-editor for the Journal of Public Economics. Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University. Henry Morris is our main editor. Show notes During the episode, we talked about the restricted access data the census has, which can be found on this link: https://www.researchdatagov.org/ Sarah also recommends checking out this previously restricted-use Census data that was recently made public: https://joe.cjars.org/ Sarah's paper is "Maternal and Infant Health Inequality: New Evidence from Linked Administrative Data," and you can find it here: https://www.nber.org/papers/w30693 This is another great link for data inventory from the census: https://www2.census.gov/about/linkage/data-file-inventory.pdf Recommendations of the week: Sarah recommends playing the game Elden Ring, which can be found on many systems! Sarah's current favorite paper is "Does Welfare Prevent Crime? The Criminal Justice Outcomes of Youth Removed from SSI" Alex recommends stocking up on water and other goodies before the conference starts! Sebastian's recommendation for the week is to play Alto's Odyssey, a mobile game that helps you relax at night or in moments of anxiety!

In this episode, we talk with Gary Hoover. Hoov is the Executive Directory of the Murphy Institute and a Professor of Economics and Affiliate Professor of Law at ⁠Tulane University⁠. ⁠⁠Sebastian Tello-Trillo⁠⁠ is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia. ⁠⁠Alex Hollingsworth⁠⁠ is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University Show notes: Hoov recommends checking out WISER (we talked with Rhonda V. Sharpe in our last episode available here) AEA Ombuds Team Hoov's papers on professional misconduct can be found here Hoov's recommendation: Submit to the Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy Alex's recommendation: When taking notes on a paper, take them "in your own words". And use Obsidian for note taking Sebastian's recommendation: Use Zotero for references ⁠How to manage references with Zotero⁠

In this episode, we talk with Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe. Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe is about her experience as founding and being the President of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER). WISER is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)3 research institute. WISER’s mission is to expand women-focused policy research to include the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women. ⁠Sebastian Tello-Trillo⁠ is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia. ⁠Alex Hollingsworth⁠ is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University Show notes: Brach with honey. Rhonda's favorite candy corn.  The other Rhonda Sharp, https://people.unisa.edu.au/rhonda.sharp#Biography Disaggregate data: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0696-1 Structured procrastination: https://structuredprocrastination.com Big Sean: I don't *** with you, Clean version Packages by Vincent Arel-Bundock. Instant Ramen with Garlic