Virginia Association of Economists 43rd Annual Meeting

March 31 April 1, 2016

Virginia Military Institute (Thursday) and Washington & Lee University (Friday)
Lexington, Virginia

THURSDAY, MARCH 31
Location: Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Marshall Hall, Center for Leadership and Ethics
1:00 1:30 P.M.
REGISTRATION
Location: Center for Leadership and Ethics, Marshall Hall, lobby
1:30 P.M. 2:45 P.M.
PLENARY SESSION I: ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES AND THE FLIPPED
CLASSROOM
Eric Chiang, author of CoreEconomics textbook and Associate Professor of Economics at Florida
Atlantic University
Location: Center for Leadership and Ethics, New Market Room
2:45 P.M. 3:00 P.M.
REFRESHMENTS
Location: Center for Leadership and Ethics, Hall of Valor
3:00 P.M. 4:30 P.M.
SESSION 1A: Economic History and Behavioral Economics
Location: Center for Leadership and Ethics, Shenandoah Room
Chair: Clifford Thies, Shenandoah University
Samuel J. Tilden, Iron Money and the Election of 1876, Clifford Thies, Shenandoah University
Discussant: Mark Wilson, West Virginia University Tech
Economic History of Chicago and the Al Capone Era, Alice Kassens, Roanoke College
Discussant: Clifford Thies, Shenandoah University
International Development and Bretton Woods, Mark Wilson, West Virginia University Tech
Discussant: Mike Smitka, Washington and Lee University
The Power of First Impressions? An Experimental Design to Investigate the Robustness of the Halo
Effect in the Ordering of Lists, Brian Hollar, Marymount University
Discussant: Bing Jiang, Virginia Military Institute
SESSION 1B: International and Development Economics
Location: Center for Leadership and Ethics, Allegheny Room
Chair: Shikha Silwal, Washington and Lee University
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Firm Heterogeneity and Export Pricing in India Michael Anderson, Washington and Lee Univ.
Discussant: Amanda Deerfield, James Madison University
Corruption, Foreign Aid, and Growth, Amanda Deerfield, James Madison University
Discussant: Seife Dendir, Radford University
Saving out of Remittances: Evidence from East Africa, Seife Dendir, Radford University
Discussant: Sonya Waddell, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Preference Formation and Female Labor Force Participation in China, Xi Chen, Virginia Tech
Discussant: Shikha Silwal, Washington & Lee University
SESSION 1C: UNDERGRADUATE PRESENTATIONS
Location: Center for Leadership and Ethics, Blue Ridge Room
Chair: Chris Handy, Washington & Lee University
The Economics of Terrorism, Isaac Lewis, Virginia Military Institute
Discussant: Elizabeth Samios, Christopher Newport University
Recommendations for Development in Kosovo, Charles McCracken, Christopher Newport
University
Discussant: Mariam Ghanem, George Mason University
An Economic Analysis of the Marginal Costs and Benefits of Obtaining Education in the
Philippines, Thomas Michael Buenaventura, Marymount University
Discussant: Matthew Anderson, George Mason University
Income Inequality and Social Capital, Jacob Stevens-Lubin, Washington and Lee University
Discussant: Charles McCracken, Christopher Newport University
5:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M.
WILLIAM A. SANDRIDGE LECTURE
Location: Gillis Theater, Center for Leadership and Ethics
William Dudley, President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
6:00 P.M. 6:45 P.M.
RECEPTION AND STUDENT POSTER SESSION
Location: Center for Leadership, Hall of Valor
6:45 P.M. 8:00 P.M.
DINNER
Location: Center for Leadership, Gallery

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FRIDAY, APRIL 1
Location: Washington & Lee University
7:30 A.M. 8:30 A.M.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
Location: Elrod Commons, Living Room
PAST-PRESIDENTS BREAKFAST (by invitation, 7:15-8:00 a.m.)
Location: Elrod Commons, Room 216
8:00 A.M. - 8:30 A.M.
BUSINESS MEETING
Location: Elrod Commons, Stackhouse Theater
8:45 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
PLENARY SESSION II: THE VIRGINIA ECONOMY
Location: Elrod Commons, Stackhouse Theater
Moderator: Pam Luecke, Department of Journalism, Washington & Lee University
Panelists:
Sonya Waddell, regional economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Alice Kassens, senior analyst, Institute for Public Opinion Research and Shannon Professor of
Economics, Roanoke College
John R. Layman, Director/Chief Economist, Revenue Forecasting, Virginia Department of
Taxation
10:00 A.M. - 10:15 A.M.
REFRESHMENTS
Location: Elrod Commons, Stackhouse Theater lobby
10:15 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.
SESSION 2A: Microeconomics
Location: 216 Elrod Commons, Womens Resource Room
Chair: Bob Subrick, James Madison University
The Evolution of Pro-Social Behavior and the Role of Government: A Theoretical Assessment,
Daniel Farhat, Radford University
Discussant: Tinni Sen, Virginia Military Institute
Beyond Piketty, the Pope, and the President: How Lawyers Increase Income Inequality, Bob
Subrick, James Madison University
Discussant: Nayana Bose, Washington & Lee University
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Valuing Electricity-dependent Infrastructure: An Essential-Input Approach, Klaus Moeltner,

Virginia Tech
Discussant: Bob Subrick, James Madison University
The Economics of Honey Bees Industry: Analysis of Problems Confronting the Local Bee Farming
and Its Economic Impact in California, Harmohinder Singh-Sandhu, Virginia Union University
Discussant: Linda Hooks, Washington & Lee University
SESSION 2B: Macroeconomics and Urban Economics
Location: 206 Elrod Commons, Chavis Board Room
Chair: Dave Garraty, Virginia Wesleyan College
The Cost of Good Intentions: News Effects of Repatriation Tax Changes, Chadwick Curtis,
University of Richmond
Discussant: Dave Garraty, Virginia Wesleyan College
Re-Thinking Debt Burden: Going with the Flow, Andr Neveu, James Madison University
Discussant: Martin Davies, Washington & Lee University
Do Clusters (or Cities) in Virginia Cluster According to Zipf? Steven Lang, Randolph-Macon
College
Discussant: Chadwick Curtis, University of Richmond
SESSION 2C: Economics of Education and Economic Principles
Location: 214 Elrod Commons, Volunteer Resource Room
Chair: Joe Turek, Lynchburg College
Economics and the Game of War: Engaging Students Through Active Learning, Joe Turek,
Lynchburg College
Discussant: Nozar Hashemzadeh, Radford University
What Impacts a Students Ability to Graduate in Four Years? Evidence from a College of Business
& Economics Melanie Marks, Longwood University
Discussant: Joseph Turek, Lynchburg College
The Fable of a Stable Marginal Propensity to Consume (MPC), Nozar Hashemzadeh, Radford
University
Discussant: Gemma Kotula, Christopher Newport University
11:45 A.M.
CONFERENCE ENDS. Thank you for attending.

Those interested in an OPTIONAL GOLF OUTING on Friday afternoon should let Linda Hooks
know by Friday, March 25.

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