
The Hidden Curriculum
The Hidden Curriculum is a podcast on all the topics you wanted to learn in (econ) graduate school. There are lots of things about the profession that you only hear if you have a great mentor or during networking opportunities. This podcast aims to help decrease that knowledge gap by bringing that information into your headphones!
Artwork by @factorintrinseco. Music by Funk O'Clock by Delicate Beats. Licensed by Premium Beat
Email: hiddencurriculumpodcast@gmail.com
Latest episodes

Sep 14, 2021 • 49min
E30 - Get started with grants and tips for submission with Donna Ginther
In this episode we talk with Donna Ginter on her tips to a successful grant proposal. Donna is the Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her major fields of study are scientific labor markets, gender differences in employment outcomes, wage inequality, scientific entrepreneurship, children's educational attainments, and child abuse and neglect.
In her role as the director of IPSR at Kansas she helps people get funded through different means. Her research also focuses on scientific entrepreneurship. Finally, Donna has has extensive experience applying for grants and serving in committees that award grants. She shares what she has learned from all of these experiences with us.
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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.
Recommendations of the week:
Donna recommends that if you are looking for a way to quickly re-charge your batteries, go out for a walk in "nature". Donna feels that going out to nature even for 15 minutes can help recharge energy and get the creative flow going. Her second recommendation is to track your time. Pick a given week or period of time for which you will track your time. Then check how much %s of your time you spend on each category of your job and adjust accordingly.
Alex's recommendation of the week is to ask people for their successful grant applications. When he started this process, Alex didn't know where to start. Seeing a friend's application was very helpful in understanding format, and narrative of how an application looks.
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to apply for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. This fellowship provides you with financial support and importantly it can relief you from teaching assistant duties during your PhD Program, which can be very helpful. You can apply for this fellowship while applying for graduate school or in your first year of graduate school.

7 snips
Sep 7, 2021 • 54min
E29 - Tips to target a job at a liberal arts institution with Allison O Luedtke
In this episode we talk with Allison Luedtke (LID-kee) about procuring a job at a liberal arts position. Allison is an assistant professor of economics at St. Olaf College. Her research focuses on the macroeconomic effects of networks. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Virginia and Bachelor's degree in Math from William and Mary.
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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.
Recommendations of the Week:
Allison's recommendations of the week is a cocktail called greenpoint. It's a spin on a Manhattan. Ingredients are:
2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce yellow Chartreuse
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
Garnish: lemon twist
Alex's recommendation of the week is to sign up for "Bright by Text". It's a text messaging systems that "provides invaluable information from early childhood experts on topics including developmental milestones, brain development, mental health and resilience, social-emotional competence, STEM, language and literacy, nutrition, health and more." Text BRIGHT to 274 448 to sign up. They also have the text in spanish!
Alex also say you should watch Ted Lasso.
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to submit your JMP! This is taken from my adviser Kitt Carpenter. The main story here is that once you are done with the market, you will take a break, move and then the semester will start and life will be a bit hectic. It may be easy to keep scheduling working on the JMP for later. It may even seem like a huge task to do all the suggestions you got while being on the market! That's true but I still highly recommend getting back to it and just trying to submit it, and re-submit it until it is done. You will feel so great when it is off your shoulders!

Aug 17, 2021 • 52min
E28 - Setting up a research project folder with Julian Reif
In this episode, we talk with Julian Reif about setting up a research project folder for best replications purposes. Julian is an Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. He is also a Senior Scholar at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on health policy evaluation and the value of health and longevity. Professor Reif received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and his BA from Vanderbilt University.
In this episode, we go over how to set up a research project folder structure. We follow the guide that Julian has on his page. [https://julianreif.com/guide/#folder-structure]. This is a great guide to follow for structuring all your projects. I usually have an "empty" project folder, and every time I start a new project, I copy and rename that folder for my new project.
We also have a companion video tutorial on how to do this, in which you can follow step-by-step how to do it. [https://youtu.be/KUtxJyauQ-o]
Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Assistant 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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.
During the episode, we talk about Julian's paper on teenage driving and mortality risk. You can find that paper here https://julianreif.com/research/reif.wp.driving.pdf
Recommendations of the week
Julian's recommendation of the week is to listen to a podcast while you exercise! His two recommendations are (1) Conversations with Tyler and (2) Mindscape. https://conversationswithtyler.com and https://www.mindescapepodcast.com
Alex’s tip of the week is to use code snippets when writing in latex and sublime text. Basically ways of automating annoying tasks. You can check out examples here: http://www.peterhaschke.com/workflow/2013/05/08/SLT2-Snippet.htmlFor example, you can type `fig` then hit tab and all the code to create a figure with a centered graphic will replace the `fig` text you typed, with your cursor in the place to add the appropriate file path.
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to use the text-replacement app Autohotkey. This app allows you to map any keyboard combination to an action or other words. For example, I type "-zoom" for my personal zoom link, and my zoom link appears. https://www.autohotkey.com

Aug 3, 2021 • 44min
E27 - Tips on how to talk to the media with Fenaba Addo
In this episode we talk with Fenaba Addo about on how to talk to the media. Fenaba R. Addo, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dr. Addo was the Lorna Jorgensen Wendt Associate Professor of Money, Relationships, and Equality (MORE) in the School of Human Ecology’s Department of Consumer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison prior to joining UNC and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Postdoctoral Scholar. She received her Ph.D. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University and holds a B.S. in Economics from Duke 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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.
Show notes:
In the workflow section, Fenaba mentioned that she takes part of "Sunday Planning". That is have an overview of her schedule for the week. She tries schedule writing time during the mornings and schedule meetings during teaching days. Writing time can be understood as writing or research time (i.e. coding, reading, etc.). This takes about 30 min to an hour.
Fenaba's recommendation of the week is to start each class with a song, and if you can connect the topic of that lecture to the song! She says it's a fun way to set the mood for the class.
Alex's recommendation of the week is to use the feature on macs (and windows) that reads outloud your text. This is a great way to catch typos or odd-wording of the stuff you write! Perfect for emails
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is "The Public Professor: How to Use Your Research to Change the World" by M. V. Lee Badget. The work of academics can matter and be influential on a public level, but the path to becoming a public intellectual, influential policy advisor, valued community resource or go-to person on an issue is not one that most scholars are trained for. The Public Professor offers scholars ways to use their ideas, research and knowledge to change the world. You can find it with the rest of our books recommendations on our bookshop affiliate link [https://bookshop.org/shop/Hiddencurriculum]

Jul 20, 2021 • 45min
E26 - Tips on mentoring undergraduate students with Jonathan Meer
In this episode we talk with Jonathan Meer on tips to mentor undergraduate students. Jonathan Meer is a University Professor for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at A&M. He is also a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Jonathan's research focuses on charitable giving and the economics of education. His recent work examines whether fundraising creates new giving, the impact of the minimum wage on search effort, and how the interaction between teacher and student gender affects student performance. Jonathan teachers an online principles to 2500 students a year.
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 of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.
Show notes:
During the workflow conversation Jonathan mentioned he uses todoist which is a to-do app that Sebastian also uses! Check it out here: https://todoist.com/r/sebaz88_bfprtg
He also uses the service "You can book me" https://youcanbook.me, in order to schedule meeting with his students.
Jonathan's recommendation of the week is to choose a particular artist for every trip you take. That is only listen to one artist during the whole trip, such that it bonds the trip with that song and may be an easier way to remember a trip!
Alex's recommendation of the week is to check out Lego Grad Student. Alex recently bought the Lego grad student calendar! https://brickademics.com
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to check out AERIP. The Association for Economic Research of Indigenous Peoples is a professional association of economists, political scientists, sociologists, policy practitioners, and others who are interested in economic research related to Indigenous peoples across the globe.

Jul 13, 2021 • 47min
E25 - How to approach service in the profession with David Slusky
Service! What is it good for? In this episode we talk with David Slusky about how to manage service as a junior person. David Slusky is an applied microeconomist. His research is on health economics labor economics and public policy. He is the De-Min and Chin-Sha Wu Associate Professor of economics at the University of Kansas, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Research fellow at IZA - Institute of Labor Economics in Bonn, Germany. He's also Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies at KU, the founder of the Kansas Health Economics Conference, and a co-editor at the Journal of Policy Analysis & Management.
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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.
The matrix that we keep referring to can be found here: [Link Here]
Recommendations of the week:
David's first recommendation is any of the recs of the week: Harry Bosch's books, the second recommendation is the board game Mage Knight. David enjoys playing it with the whole fam!
Alex recommendation of the week: if you select zoom to be optimized for two screen, you can separate the gallery window from the main screen, this can be useful if you want to separate them!
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to check out the AEA research's highlight podcast, where they interview authors of papers published in AEA journals. It's a great way to consume research!

Jul 6, 2021 • 1h 8min
E24 - How does an academic journal work? with Catherine Maclean
In this episode, we talk with Catherine Maclean, a co-editor for the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM), on how a journal works? What is the hierocracy and process behind the inner workings of an academic journal? Catherine is an Associate Professor of Economics at Temple University. Professor Maclean's research uses health and labor economic theory to empirically explore the causes and consequences of substance use, mental health, insurance coverage, and labor market outcomes. Professor Maclean is a Research Associate in the Health Economics Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Research Affiliate at the Institute of Labor Economics. She is a Co-Editor at the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Professor Maclean's research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.
Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Assistant 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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.
Show Notes:
Check out the "TOPS" Seminar series at this link: https://www.tobaccopolicy.org.
The Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) goal is to provide a free multidisciplinary, international forum for research using experimental or quasi-experimental variation (i.e., a well-defined counterfactual) to study nicotine-tobacco policies, with a particular interest in emerging tobacco products and modified risk tobacco products.
Recommendations of the week:
Catherine's recommendation of the week is to follow David Powell on Twitter. His handle is @thedavidpowell. His account is primarily lighthearted, punny jokes that relax the feed. Catherine's second recommendation is to get into legos!
Alex's recommendation of the week is to have an email template to reply to emails from students' requests about classes. Make sure you have several templates that you can copy and paste when responding to emails.
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to check out JPAM's closer look a podcast on the papers published on JPAM [link here]

Jun 29, 2021 • 34min
E23 - A story about finding a dissertation topic with Monica Aswani
In this episode we talk with Monica Aswani on the story of how she found a dissertation topic. Dr. Monica Aswani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research focuses on the distributional consequences of health policy related to payment/delivery reform programs, social safety net eligibility and spending, and health insurance.
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 Assistant Professor of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.
Recommendations of the week:
Monica's recommendation of the week is the book "Economization of Life" by Michelle Murphy. You can check this and all previous book's recommendations in our "Bookshop" library, this is a great way to support the podcast as well! [Link Here]
Alex's recommendation of the week is to do a "semester plan". Fortunately, we show you where to start, here is a link of a template for a semester plan. [Link Here]
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to check "Econimate" by Hoai-Luu Nguyen. These are animated-videos that explain papers in a easy way to digest. It's a great way to "keep up" with a literature or to use them in class! https://www.econimate.com or the YouTube Channel.

Jun 16, 2021 • 50min
E22 - How to respond to referee reports with Ivan Rudik
This week we talk with Ivan Rudik and a document he has been using in order to respond to referee reports. Ivan is the Ruth and William Morgan Assistant Professor of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. Ivan is an Environmental Economist with a PhD from University of Arizona who works on climate change and air pollution.
We discussed a paper on the Journal of Economic Perspective titled "How to Write an Effective Referee Report and Improve the Scientific Review Process" by Jonathan B. Berk, Campbell R. Harvey and David Hirshleifer. (link here)
We talked about a document that Ivan uses to respond to referee's, you can download it here (link here) [https://github.com/hollina/template-referee-response]
Ivan's recommendation of the week is the book Piranesi (Link here)
Alex's recommendation of the week is to check Anki Flashcards, a great way to learn a language or any memory, driven topic! (Link here)
Sebastian's recommendation of the week is to check EconBrew a list of economist who are always up to have a coffee all around the world! (Link here)

Jun 7, 2021 • 42min
E21 - What are specifications charts? With Ariel Ortiz Bobea
This episode we talk about specification charts with Ariel Ortiz Bobea. These are charts that visually show how the baseline estimate changes across many types of model adjustments. Ariel Ortiz-Bobea. Ariel is an Assistant Professor of Applied Economics and Policy. He is an applied economist with interests in agricultural, resource and development economics. Ariel was a fellow at Resources for the Future prior to Cornell & special assistant to the minister of the environment in the Dominican Republic prior to grad school. At present, his research program is broadly focused on agricultural sustainability issues with particular emphasis on the statistical and econometric evaluation of climate change impacts on agriculture and other sectors of the economy.
To visually see what a specification chart looks like [click here].
To see AOB's thread on specification chart's and how to implement it in R [click here].
Ariel also spoke about OSWEET, the Online Summer Workshop in Environment, Energy, and Transportation (Economics) if you want more information. Find it here: http://edrub.in/osweet.html
If you want to find out more about the paper that Ariel referenced in the episode [click here]
Recommendations of the week:
Ariel Ortiz Bobea: Comment your code!
Alex Hollingsworth: for journals and professional organizations, create a password which has the name of the organization/journal in the password. That way the system is the same, it just changes by organization/journal.
Sebastian Tello-Trillo: If you are looking for great images/pictures that are "free" to use. Check unsplash. It is a great source of freely-usable images.