Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Economics
Temple University
2015

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Economics
Saint Joseph’s University
2006

Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis

Economics of Development and Growth

Macroeconomic Principles

Non-Resident Fellow, Washington Center for Equitable Growth, 2024-2025

Faculty Fellow, Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida, 2022-Present

Early Career Research Award ($5,000)- Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2020

Faculty Fellow, Center for Race and Wealth, Howard University, Washington, DC, 2019-2024

Scholar-in-Residence, Institute for Research on Poverty- UW-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 2019-2020

Research Fellowship ($10,000) - Howard University, 2019

HBCU Attendance and Longer-term Outcomes

HBCU Attendance and Longer-term Outcomes in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy Vol. 17, No. 3 (pp. 197-235)

Using data from nearly 1.2 million Black SAT takers, we find that students initially enrolling in a historically Black college and university (HBCU) are 14.6 percentage points more likely to earn a bachelor's degree and, around age 30, have 5 percent higher household income and $12,000 more in student loan balances than those who do not enroll in an HBCU. We find that results are largely driven by an increased likelihood of completing a degree from relatively broad-access HBCUs in lieu of a two-year college or no college.

Applicants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Applicants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in American Economics Association Papers and Proceedings, Vol 113 (pp. 440-45)

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) play an important role in the postsecondary education of Black students in the United States. Using data on where 1.2 million Black SAT takers send their SAT scores, we examine which students consider attending HBCUs and the common alternatives to HBCUs. Students with average SAT scores are the most likely to consider HBCUs, and students with the highest SAT scores are the least likely. Students who are relatively interested in HBCUs tend to also consider less selective, in-state, public options. However, that relationship is counteracted when the HBCUs under consideration are relatively more selective.

The Minimum Wage as a Tool for Racial Economic Justice

The Minimum Wage as a Tool for Racial Economic Justice in Journal of Economic Literature, 61 (3) (pp. 977-87)

Participants at the 1963 civil rights march on Washington supported minimum wage laws using arguments of economic justice. Many economists at the time argued against the minimum wage based on efficiency concerns rooted in neoclassical theory. After decades of debate, where does the economics profession stand on the justice and efficiency claims of the minimum wage? We discuss the evolution of the minimum wage literature in economics, focusing on racial justice. We highlight recent empirical papers that overwhelmingly support the position of the marchers on Washington while at the same time showing little to no loss of economic efficiency.

Child-to-Parent Intergenerational Transfers, Social Security and Child Wealth-building

Child-to-Parent Intergenerational Transfers, Social Security and Child Wealth-building in AEA Papers and Proceedings, Vol. 112 (pp. 53-57)

I study the relationship among child-to-parent transfers, parents' social security eligibility, and child wealth building. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and a regression discontinuity approach, I find that the wealth of adult children increases discontinuously at the parents' Social Security eligibility age for Black, female, and low-income groups. Additionally, the probability that a parent receives monetary transfers decreases discontinuously at the Social Security age for these groups. The effects were not statistically significant for counterpart groups. These findings suggest that by reducing the reliance of parents on their adult children, Social Security may contribute to wealth building among economically disadvantaged households.

Labor Market Conditions and Racial/Ethnic Differences in College Enrollment

Labor Market Conditions and Racial/Ethnic Differences in College Enrollment in Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Vol. 2 (pp. 173-183)

The racial/ethnic differences in college enrollment are pervasive and persistent. In this article, I provide evidence of a business cycle-driven component to the college enrollment gaps among racial/ethnic groups in the USA. Using a nationally representative sample from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youths 1997 (NLSY97) and fixed-effects enrollment probability models, I find that Hispanics are more likely than non-Black-non-Hispanics to enroll in 2-year college during high unemployment periods. Similarly, I find that individuals who are Black are more likely than non-Black-non-Hispanic individuals to enroll in 2-year colleges but are less likely to enroll in 4-year colleges during periods of high unemployment. The positive effect of high unemployment rate on 2-year college enrollment for Blacks is almost entirely offset by negative effects on 4-year college enrollment. Non-Black-non-Hispanics are least sensitive to labor market conditions. The cyclicality of college enrollment rates of Blacks and Hispanics and the relatively smooth enrollment rates of non-Black-non-Hispanic individuals may be able to explain a part of the persistent gap in college enrollment.

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS

2023 American Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meetings, New Orleans, Louisiana

2022 Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Race and Economic Outcomes Conference, Richmond, VA

2022 American Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meetings, Virtual

2021 Southern Economics Association, Houston, Texas

2021 Session Chair, American Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meetings, Virtual

2020 Session Organizer and Chair, American Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meetings, San

Diego, CA; Institute for Research on Poverty, UW-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

2019 Center for Financial Security, UW-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),

Washington D.C; Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), Denver, CO.

2018 Southern Economics Association, Washington D.C

2017 Western Economics Association Annual Meetings, San Diego, CA; Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA

2016 Eastern Economic Association, New York, NY.

2015 Eastern Economic Association, New York, NY.

2014 Southern Economic Association, Atlanta, Georgia; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

2010 Eastern Sociological Society (ESS). New York, NY