Undergraduate Honors Papers
Disclaimer: This work does not necessarily represent the views of the University of Oregon or the Economics Department
Featured Project:
Michael Connolly and Aaron Frank's project for the department's Community Economics Class (Econ 418/419) was the development of a Business Confidence Index for Central Oregon. The Index has now been adopted by the Bend Bulletin, which will sponsor quarterly updates, and publish them in its Business Section. The article from the Bulletin is posted here and continued here.
These papers are either written as individual honors papers, or team honors projects from Economics 418-419, Economic Analysis of Community Issues.
Economic Analysis of Community Issues is a research class where students do hands-on applied economic analysis projects either for local community groups, or on a topic of community interest. The objective of the course is to have students complete an research paper that will provide them with some practical experience applying skills in economics and statistics, and give the local community or the State a finished research project that gives them useful answers to questions that matter for their decision-making.
The completed projects are intended to satisfy the research part of the department's requirements for graduating with honors. The class is small and involves intensive interaction with the professors, Bruce Blonigen and Bill Harbaugh. This course is designed as a capstone for students who want to graduate with honors. Enrollment is by permission.
The course begins winter quarter, when invited community speakers give talks about their potential projects, and the instructors discuss research methods and relevant aspects of benefit-cost analysis and econometrics. Students start their projects at the end of winter, and can expect to devote considerable time during spring quarter to data collection, analysis, and writing. The finished project includes delivery of a finished paper, and a presentation to interested community members.
2007 Honors Papers
Brooke Jackson, Kent Strauss. “A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Recycling Programs for the Eugene Saint Vincent de Paul.”
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Ben Bushong, “Revealed Preference and Mean-Variance Investing”
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Joe Edgar, Eric Gefre " University Student Electrical Consumption: Comparison and Analysis."
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Michael Fillingame, Chris Hemmings "Tracking Progress or Regress: Constructing a Healthy Community Index
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Steven Green, Jason Schwartz “Cost-Benefit Analysis and Prediction Markets and the Proposal for University of Oregon Prediction Markets”
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Cody MacMillan, Lindsay Steiert "Forecasting the Demand for Care of Individuals with Disabilities for the Oregon Department of Human Services"
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Stephanie McShurley, Alex Vrtiska "An Economic Analysis of Factors Associated with Higher Re-entry Probability within the Oregon State Foster Care System"
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Ray Morris, David Walker, Simeon Wessinger "Lane Transit District Payroll Tax Revenue Analysis"
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Dmitry Sivaev, Emrich Stovel "Developing Sustainable Business Clusters in the Eugene Area: An Economic Analysis"
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Zach Zollinger, Whit Perkins “An Analysis of Charitable Giving to the Eugene Water and Electric Board.”
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2006 Honors Papers
| A Benefit Cost Study of a New Preschool Program Based on Neuroplasticity. By
Jenny Yaillen and and Nate Blair. Faculty Advisor, Bill Harbaugh. Download paper, powerpoint presentation, excel spreadsheet. |
The Land Premium in Eugene/Springfield: Determining the Price Differentials of Brownfield and Greenfield Parcels and the Impact of the Enterprise Zone. By Ryan Bricker & Jeremy Simantel. |
Housing Price Models for the Walnut Station Redevelopment Area. By
Jessica Brown, Joseph Reiter, & Sheena Pietzold. |
A Statistical Analysis of the University of Oregon’s Retention Rates for Minority Groups. By
Joseph Croson and Zoe Grover. |
UO Economics Summer Camp . By
Katie Dieken and Janet Gerde. |
Central Oregon Business Index . By
Michael Connolly and Aaron Frank
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Estimating Needed Capacity of Nursing Home and Hospital Beds: Is the Eugene-Springfield MSA at Capacity? By
Mathew Spellman and Megan Stratman. |
Human Development: Assessing Effects on Developing Countries. By
Mari Hickman. |
Testing for Bubbles in the U.S. Housing Market. By
James Pozdena. |
What Determines Bilateral Aid Distribution? Evidence from Major Donors. By
Yuko Watanabe. |
Money Under the Mattress: An Examination of Mexican Immigrants’ Banking Habits in the U.S. By
Carolyn Dicharry. |
Unraveling the Differences Between Countervailing Duty and Antidumping Data. By
Anson Soderbery. |
Game Theory and Interactive Learning Computers in the Classroom. By
Sean Wallace
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To Bluff or Not to Bluff: Principles and Practice from Laboratory Experiments. By
David Yaffe. |
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2005 Honors Papers
The Impact of the Living Wage on Disposable Income. By Tatiana Raterman and Mark Allen. |
Auctioning off Oregon Lottery Machines. By
Jeremiah Crider
and
Brian Deigan
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Interpreting Fair Market Value: Zoning, Land Value, and the Possible Unanticipated Externalities of Oregon's Ballot Measure 37. By Chelsea R. Byers, Jesse Cathy, and Rob Wyman. |
Design of the Oregon Business Confidence Survey. By Koushalah Sunder and Jason Payton. |
Effects of Medicaid Expansions on Health Insurance Coverage: The Case of the Oregon Health Plan. By Kate Hartwig and Yuliya Tkachyshyn. |
Neighbor to Neighbor Dispute Resolution in Eugene, Oregon. By Alycia Spires and Ryan Slunaker. |
2004 Honors Papers
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United Way of Lane County’s Fundraising Efforts. By Carole Forrester and Carolyn Foster. |
| Willingness to Pay for Recycling in Eugene, Oregon. By Nathan Kamesar and Amos Nadler. |
| The West Eugene Enterprise Zone: The Impact Of Tax Incentives on Firm Growth. By Anthony Lambatos and Kenton Olson. |
| Classroom Peer Effects: A Model of Disruptive Behavior in Middle School Classrooms. By Tom O’Brien and Justin Valasek. |
| Performing Arts Organizations: An Examination of the Relationship between Ticket Expenditures, Donations, and Income. By Tiancong (Kathleen) Li , Cleo Neculae, and Ryan Sullivan. |
| Positive Behavior Support: A Case Study of the 4J and Bethel School Districts. By Aryn Clark and Zeb Cooley. |
| Who Volunteers in Lane County? By Kate Callister and Chi Ho. |
| RideSource Shopper Analysis. By Sam Boggess and Dan Claric. |
2003 Honors Papers
Hynix, by Melinda Rowan and Jennifer Witt
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Endogenous Information Cascades, by Jared Lunsford
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Giving and Taking, by Ryan Suvoy
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EU Eastern Expansion and the Effects on Trade, by Selena Smith
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The Property Value Effects of the South Ridgeline Trail, by Dane Jensen and Jared Durham
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What Gives?, by Graham Crawford and Aaron Steinberger
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Local Purchasing Incentives, by Felicia Lorelli and Reva Shrestha
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Cost Analysis of the Adolescent Transitions Program, by Lindsay Beckman and Anne Jackson
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Effects of Market Power and Strategic Manipulation Within a Simulated Kyoto Protocol Emissions Trading Program, Oliver Levine
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