Department of Economics > News
Department News
Professor Denise Konan Elected a SENCER Leadership Fellow
Congratulations to Professor Denise Knonan, who has been elected a SENCER Leadership
Fellow!
SENCER (Science Education for New Civic
Engagements and Responsibilities is a faculty development and science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics education reform project funded by the National Science Foundation
to promote greater engagement of undergraduates with the sciences in institutions of higher
education in the US and selected other countries.
As a SENCER leadership fellow, Professor Konan will work to promote
undergraduate research and education by developing curriculum that links scientific inquiry
to economic reasoning and engaging students in consequential scientific issues facing our
communities. She will develop a vibrant undergraduate student internship program that provides
financial support for students to conduct research under the direction of University of Hawaii
faculty in science and economics. Beginning with undergraduate and graduate education, she will
plan outreach activities that would strengthen Hawaii's K-12 curriculum and awareness in local
business and the public sector. The SENCER affiliation will also support efforts to build a
network of University of Hawaii faculty from Economics, Oceanography, Geology, Philosophy,
and Engineering that will support student engagement in scientific inquiry around societal
problems. Programs at the University of Hawaii will inform public decision making over the
economics and environmental consequences of Hawaii energy policy, greenhouse gas emissions
reduction, and other relevant legislative initiatives.
For additional information, please see the press release on the SENCER
website.
posted on December 23, 2009
Article by Professors Halliday and Kwak Featured by Elsevier
Professor Tim Halliday and Professor Sally Kwak's paper, "Weight gain in
adolescents and their peers" was recently listed in Elsevier's Featured Articles. Earlier this year, their paper was featured on the University of Hawaii
website's home page. Congratulations to both of them!
posted on October 15, 2009
Scholarship Opportunities for Economics Students
Economic times are tough. Hawaii has a high cost of living, and paying
thousands of dollars in tuition does not make life easier for our students. This is where
scholarships come in! The Office of Community and Alumni Relations is offering a number of
scholarships that both our undergraduates and graduates may apply for. We hope you will take
advantage of these opportunities!
All scholarships have an application deadline of 4PM on October 29, 2009.
Please read through the individual applications for more details on eligibility and application
procedures. Good luck!
- The Colleges of Arts & Sciences Alumni Association Annual Scholarship: Open to
undergraduate students. Download
application.
- The John Young Scholarship in the Arts: Open to both undergraduate students and
graduate students. Download
application.
- The K.S. Cheng Memorial Scholarship: Open to both undergraduate students and
graduate students. Download
application.
- The Kenjiro & Yakue Natsuyama Scholarship: Open to undergraduate students. Download
application.
- The Colleges of Arts & Sciences Alumni Association Rodney P. Santos Scholarship:
Open to undergraduate students.
Download
application.
- Jhamandas Watumull Arts & Sciences Scholarship: Open to undergraduate students.
Download
application.
posted on September 8, 2009
Econ Contributes to 50th Anniversary of Hawaii Statehood
Marcia Sakai (Dean of Business and Economics at UH-Hilo and an alumna
of this department) speaks at the Hawaii Statehood Conference, as Professor Byron Gangnes and
Pearl Imada-Iboshi (State Economist from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and
Tourism, and an alumna of this department) look on.
On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the union.
Fifty years later on August 21, 2009, members of the economics department, UHERO, and the
Hawaii Economic Association helped the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission
organize a one-day conference to commemorate 50 years of Hawaii statehood.
The conference reflected on Hawaii's past and examined major trends and
challenges for the future. A large econ contingent of 18 faculty members and former graduates
of the department participated in the conference by giving presentations or chairing sessions.
The conference was a big success as a standing room crowd of over 2,100 attendees listened to
Governor Linda Lingle, political historian and writer Tom Coffman, Olympic decathlon champion
Bryan Clay, East West Center President Charles Morrison, and our own Andy Mason, who gave an
eye-opening presentation on the daunting implications of population aging on Hawaii's economic
future. In late-morning breakout sessions, members of the econ contingent gave talks on the
future of high technology development in Hawaii, interaction between the environment and the
economy, vulnerability of Hawaii to future natural disasters, tax reform, reform of Hawaii's
public schools, and prospects for economic recovery from the current economic recession.
For more photos from the event, see the photo gallery from our Centennial
Website.
Top row (left to right): Marcia Sakai (Dean of Business and
Economics at UH-Hilo and UH graduate), Majah Leah Ravago (UH econ graduate student), Professor Sally
Kwak, Pearl Imada-Iboshi (State Economist and UH graduate), Yangseon Kim (Department of Business,
Economic Development, and Tourism), and Paul Brewbaker (UH econ graduate). Bottom row (left
to right): Professor Ilan Noy, Professor James Mak, Kimberly Burnett (UH econ graduate), Professor
Carl Bonham, Professor James Roumasset, Professor Byron Gangnes, and Professor Sang-Hyop Lee. Missing
from the photo are Professor Andrew Mason, Professor Sumner La Croix, Professor Makena Coffman,
Professor Jerry Russo, and UH alumnus Andrew Kato.
Professors Sang-Hyop Lee,
Gerard Russo, Andrew Mason, and James Mak at the conference luncheon
posted on August 17, 2009
Econ Alumnus Shankar Sharma Appointed Nepalese Ambassador to the United States
Dr. Sharma (middle) in a United Nations
ESCAP intergovernmental functions in 2004.
Source: United Nations
ESCAP
Congratulations to Dr. Shankar P. Sharma on being appointed as Nepalese
Ambassador to the United States by the Government of Nepal on August 3, 2009.
Dr. Sharma received his Ph.D.
in Economics from the University of Hawai‘i in Fall 1984. Prior to his appointment as
Nepalese Ambassador, he was the Vice Chairman of Nepal's National Planning Commission in 1998-2009.
posted on August 17, 2009
Economics Professors Co-Author Adolescent Obesity Study
Two of our department's professors were featured on our institution's home page
recently! Professor Timothy Halliday and Professor Sally Kwak, both professors at the Department of
Economics, were acknowledged on the UH home page for having recently published a paper in Economics
and Human Biology titled, "Weight Gain in Adolescents and Their Peers." The article examines
trends in adolescent body mass index (BMI) in a nationally representative dataset.
To view a copy of the abstract, visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2009.05.002
posted on July 17, 2009
Congratulations to our Spring 2009 Department Award Winners!
The Department of Economics would like to extend a big mahalo to everyone who came out to the Spring 2008 semester-end party! One dozen undergraduate and graduate students were honored with various awards. To see a list of award winners, please see our spring 2009 awards page!
 
To view photos from the end of semester party, see our Centennial Website's photo gallery.
posted on July 17, 2009
Six Economics Undergraduates Win Awards at Spring Symposium
As noted earlier, nine students majoring in economics
participated in this year's Spring Symposium earlier this month. Of these students, six won
awards for their work.
Megan Chock's presentation, "An Economic Assessment of Biological Control for Hawaii's Top
Priority Noxious Weed, Miconia Calvescens was a runner-up in the "posters" category. In addition,
a group of students consisting of Nicole Warren, Nicola Xella, James Small, Kristi Yamura, and Shannon
Toriki were the top presentors in the social sciences oral presentation category.
Congratulations to these students and to all the students who presented at the Spring Symposium!
posted on May 21, 2009
Nine Economics Students to Participate in the Spring Symposium
The Department of Economics is proud to have seven outstanding
undergraduates to represent the department at this year's Spring Symposium! This
annual event celebrates undergraduate research and creative work by undergraduates
at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
The Spring Symposium will be held this Saturday starting at 8 AM
at the East West Center's Keoni Auditorium. The event is free and open to the
public. A list of Economics students presenting and the titles of their presentations
can be seen below:
| Student |
Presentation Title |
Time |
| Kelly Morikone |
Aging in South Korea: How demographics, Public Support Systems, and Policy Impact
One Another |
11:45 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Christopher Sheehey |
Norwegian Cruise Lines in Hawaii: A Case Study on the True Price of "Pride" |
12:15 PM to 12:30 PM |
| Nicole Warren, Nicola Xella* |
Saving the Last "American" Cruise Ship |
12:30 PM to 12:45 PM |
| Megan Chock |
An Economic Assessment of Biological Control for Hawaii's Top Priority Noxious
Weed, Miconia Calvescens |
11:45 AM to 11:55 AM |
| Darryl Tay |
Building a Soccer Scouting Application Using Data Envelopment Analysis |
12:05 PM to 12:15 PM |
| Darryl Tay |
Building a Soccer Scouting Application Using Data Envelopment Analysis |
12:05 PM to 12:15 PM |
|
Note: Nicole Warren and Nicola Xella are presenting a paper co-authored
by Shannon Toriki, Kristi Yamura, Chris Sheehey, and James Small.
|
If you would like to read the abstracts for any of these presentations,
a
program can be found on the Honors Program's website.
Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported there were seven
economics majors participating.
posted on April 30, 2009
Graduate Student Hazel Parcon Receives IT&FA Best Paper Award
Economics graduate student Hazel Parcon's paper "Disaggregating
PTAs and the Role of International Division of Labor on PTA Formation" was chosen as
the Best Student Paper for the 19th International
Trade and Finance Association Conference! The conference will be held on May 28-29
in in Beijing China. Congratulations to Hazel on this great achievement!
posted on April 27, 2009
"Hawaii mafia" participates in WEAI Kyoto conference
UH faculty, alumni, and students, known as "the Hawaii mafia" participated at the
recently concluded Western Economics Association International 8th Biennial Pacific
Rim Conference in Kyoto, Japan on March 24-27, 2009. James Roumasset organized the
session on "Sustainability Science: Commons, Coral, Confusion, and (re)Cycling." He
was joined by UH Economics alumni Arsenio Balisacan, Abe Shigeyuki, Manabu Fujimura,
Kimberly Burnett, Sittidaj Pongkijvorasin, and graduate student Majah-Leah Ravago.
Majah organized the session, "Poverty, Environment, and Agriculture," which combined
the Hawaii mafia and "Philippines Yakuza" -- Japanese scholars who study the
Philippines.
The conference featured Kenneth Arrow, a Nobel Laureate and a former WEAI President who
talked about the "Economics and Obligation in Climate Change." The conference's main
purpose is to foster an exchange of ideas between Western and Asia-Pacific economists.
By bringing together leading experts as well as junior and senior scholars, the
conference covered a broad range of topics in several fields.
The Hawaii mafia with Nobel Laureate Prof. Kenneth Arrow at the conference dinner reception
Kimberly Burnett, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Arsenio Balisacan, SEARCA and University of the Philippines, Diliman; James Roumasset, University of Hawaii and University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Nobel Laureate Prof. Kenneth Arrow; Majah-Leah Ravago, UH Econ Graduate Student; Agnes Rola, University of the Philippines Los Baņos; Sittidaj Pongkijvorasin, Chulalongkorn University (backrow).
Session: Sustainability Science: Commons, Coral, Confusion, and (re)Cycling
Michinori Uwasu, Osaka University; Sittidaj Pongkijvorasin, Chulalongkorn University; Majah-Leah Ravago, UH Econ Graduate Student; Chieko Umetsu, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (also UH alumna); Agnes Rola, University of the Philippines Los Baņos; James Roumasset, University of Hawaii and University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Kimberly Burnett, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Arsenio Balisacan, SEARCA and University of the Philippines, Diliman
Session: Poverty, Agriculture, and the Environment
Manabu Fujimura, Aoyama Gakuin University; Susan Stone, Asian Development Bank Institute; Abe Shigeyuki, Doshisha University (and UH alumnus); Nobuhiko Fuwa, Chiba University; Arsenio Balisacan, SEARCA and University of the Philippines, Diliman; James Roumasset, University of Hawaii and University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Agnes Rola, University of the Philippines Los Baņos, Kimberly Burnett, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Majah-Leah Ravago, UH Econ Graduate Student; Yasuyuki Sawada, University of Tokyo
posted on April 22, 2009
Four Economics Undergraduates Awarded Merit Scholarships
Each semester, the Department of Economics awards several
merit-based tuition fellowships to our top undergraduate economics majors. For the
fall 2009 semester, the department has awarded scholarships to Elijah Frost,
Kelen Gesteuyala, Darryl Tay, and Sherilyn Wee. Congratulations
to these students on their outstanding academic achievement!
posted on March 27, 2009
The UHERO Report on the KITV 4 Island Television News Morning Show
The University of Hawaii Economics Research Organization (UHERO) is
pleased to announce a new partnership with KITV, the ABC network affiliate in Honolulu,
Hawaii. Every Friday at 6:35 am, the KITV 4 Island Television News Morning Show will
feature the UHERO Report, an analysis of the week's local, national, and
global economic news. Morning Show hosts Dan Maisenzahl and Mahealani Richardson will
interview an economist from UHERO who will analyze how major economic events are likely
to affect Hawaii's citizens, businesses, and governments. UH Economics Professor Sumner
La Croix, UH Economics Associate Professor and UHERO Director Carl Bonham, and UH
Economics Associate Professor Byron Gangnes will join with other UHERO economists to
provide analysis.
For more information contact:
posted on March 12, 2009
Economics Undergraduates Invited to Join Phi Beta Kappa
Congratulations to economics majors Megan Chock, Laura
Saiki-Chaves, and Christopher Sheehey on being invited to join the
University of Hawaii at Manoa's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa! This is quite an honor
for of perhaps 2,300 graduating students this academic year, PBK has invited only
85 to membership. The criteria are stiff: a 3.70 cumulative GPA, evidence of
intellectual diversity at the upper-division, 60 credits in residence at Manoa,
and so on. Notable members of Phi Beta Kappa include: Former presidents Jimmy Carter,
George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice,
and seven of the nine current Supreme Court Justices.
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest, most prestigious academic honor society
in the nation founded in 1776. It recognizes undergraduate academic excellence in the
liberal arts and sciences. Only 276 of the more than 4,000 American colleges and universities
have passed the rigorous scrutiny required to be allowed to charter a Chapter on their
campuses.
posted on March 9, 2009
President Obama's connection to UH Economics
Barack Obama, the recently-inaugurated 44th President of the United States, has his own connection to the Economics Department here at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. His father, Barack Obama Sr., majored in Economics here. He received his B.A. in Economics in June 1962, and was even elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa, before moving on to graduate school at Harvard University.
posted on February 26, 2009
|
