Department Head’s Message
The Economics Encounter appears semiannually (once in the fall and again during
the spring semester). We hope that you will
take a few moments to read and think about
the content found here. Our purpose is to
introduce you to the wide variety of ongoing
activities within the department that are of
special interest to our undergraduate majors.
You will find among other things the latest
happenings in the Economics Association,
an interview with Professor David Shapiro,
a survey of current job market conditions, a
calendar of important dates to remember,
award winners from 2002-2003, and a
plethora of advising information. We
encourage you to make the most of what the
department has to offer and hope each and
every one of you enjoys a happy and
productive academic year.
Department of Economics Faculty
Teaching Awards for the 2002–2003
Academic Year:
Looking for the perfect class? Here is a short
list of courses and instructors who received
outstanding teaching awards last year:
Dirk Mateer (ECON 351)
Nezih Guner (ECON 424)
Ed Coulson (ECON 432 and 497A)
Susana Esteban (ECON 444)
Bee Roberts (ECON 471)
Bob Marshall
Head
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
2
Faculty Profile
3
Spotlight on Student Awards
3
Important Dates
4
Economics Association
5
Evaluating Transfer Credit
Benjamin Gerber served as the Liberal Arts
College Student Marshal in the spring 2003
commencement ceremony. He graduated
with a B.A. degree in economics, and a B.S.
degree in finance. Dr. Jon Nelson served as
Faculty Marshal. Ben will be attending
Harvard Law School this fall.
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Faculty Profile–David Shapiro
His office looks like a room that’s part of a
cluttered warehouse holding articles from an
African museum. There are masks and other
artifacts that Professor David Shapiro has
collected over the course of the past twentyfive years, during various stints teaching,
doing research, and engaged in development
work in sub-Saharan Africa. His research in
Africa has focused on women’s education,
employment, and fertility and fertility
transition in sub-Saharan Africa. Earlier this
year, he published a book (with B. Oleko
Tambashe) summarizing much of his
research in this area and entitled Kinshasa in
Transition: Women’s Education,
Employment, and Fertility.
For the past five years, Professor Shapiro
has served as Director of Undergraduate
Studies in Economics, and he has also been
Director of the Honors Program in
Economics since 1987. Due to his
administrative responsibilities, his teaching
in recent years has been limited to the Fall
Honors Seminar and the Honors Thesis
class. However, in the spring semester he
will be team teaching Economics 436,
Economics of Discrimination. The course
will be co-taught with Professor James B.
Stewart of labor studies.
Professor Shapiro earned his Ph.D. at
Princeton University, and following a stint
at The Ohio State University, he came to
Penn State in 1980. According to Bob
Marshall, Head of the Economics
Department, “As Director of Undergraduate
Studies, Professor Shapiro has shown
remarkable dedication to the undergraduate
program, the learning environment of our
students, and the cultivation of career
opportunities for future students. This kind
of leadership is essential for success.” In
recognition of his efforts, he received the
President’s Award for Engagement with
Students in the spring of 2002.
In his spare time he enjoys playing
basketball and working out, and feeding the
fish in his pond. With his wife, Sharon, he
also enjoys travel, and is hoping to spend his
sabbatical year (2004-05) back in Africa,
teaching and doing research.
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Economics Majors Make Small Salary
Gains
According to the Summer 2003 issue of
Salary Survey, a quarterly report published
by the National Association of Colleges and
Employers (NACE), economics majors saw
average salary offers advance a scant 0.3
percent for an average of $40,084. This is in
line with other fields. With the sluggish
economy, and fewer jobs available,
employers have not had to raise wages very
much to attract quality workers.
A comparison of economics majors with
other disciplines:
Discipline
Average
Salary
Offer
$40,084
$40,546
$34,628
$37,122
Increase/Decrease
Economics
0.3
Accounting
2.0
Marketing
2.3
Business
1.9
Administration
MIS
$40,915
-4.2
English
$30,157
5.9
Psychology
$27,454
3.8
History
$32,108
2.9
Source: www.naceweb.org/press/
Spotlight on Student Awards for 2002–
2003
Sam Bonsall has received the Monroe
Newman Award. This award recognizes a
junior for outstanding promise and
achievement in the study of economics.
Michael Macko received the William Martin
Award. This award is presented annually to
an outstanding senior majoring in economics
and exhibiting the traits of Professor Martin,
namely, dedication to scholarship and
awareness of the University in the
community.
Allie Martin has received the Richard
Rosenberg Award. This award is presented
annually for outstanding service to the
department.
Michael Macko also received the Edward C.
Budd Award for the best honors thesis. His
thesis, The Economics of Language, asserts
that our overall knowledge of language can
be enhanced through economics and viceversa.
Important Dates:
September 2
Fall classes begin
Please Note: Although it is a
Tuesday, classes will follow
a Friday schedule.
September 10 Drop/add period ends
September 11 Drop/add with $6.00 fee
begins
September 15 Deadline to activate intent to
graduate
October 10
Study Day—No Classes
October 27
Final exam conflict filing
period begins
November 14 Final exam conflict filing
period ends
November 19 Late drop deadline
November 26-28 Thanksgiving Holiday
December 12 Withdrawal deadline
Classes end
December 15-19 Final exams
December 20
Commencement
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Undergraduate Economics Association
The Economics Association encourages you
to join! The club has three main functions:
to educate, network and have fun. Last year
our membership expanded significantly and
this enabled us to offer a wider range of
services and afford our membership
additional opportunities to get involved
compared to the past. If you are not yet a
member, we hope you’ll visit our first
meeting early in the fall.
In addition to our regular meetings and peer
tutoring program, we also participated in
two signature activities during 2002-2003.
The first was an economic impact study for
the State Theatre revitalization effort. Our
other big event was an overnight bus trip to
NYC to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the
stock exchange. The trip was awesome.
Similar plans are in the works for this
coming spring.
Networking: This fall we plan on holding a
panel discussion with Penn State
economics alumni regarding job prospects
for 2004. In addition, we are planning to
hold a symposium on current economic
issues.
Furthermore, we have created a test bank of
old exams. The Economics Association
offers copies of exams for a nominal charge
and we are always collecting new versions.
Anyone who submits a new exam gains a
credit for a copy of another exam. Don’t
suffer alone when you can share your joys
and frustrations with others. The chief topics
for discussion in the club are exams and
which courses to take.
We were fortunate last year to have Allie
Martin as our leader. Allie took the club to
the next level and enabled us to establish a
real presence on campus. With a new slate
of energetic leaders ready to go, this year
figures to be even better.
Education: The Economics Association
began a new initiative last year to help tutor
students in ECON 2 and ECON 4. This year,
we plan to expand and improve our service.
Club members provide weekly tutoring to
anyone who is interested. Please contact one
of the club officers or visit our Web site:
www.clubs.psu.edu/econ/ to volunteer.
Tutoring is a great way to share your gift of
economics with students who are struggling,
and it looks great on a resume!
Fun: Last year, we ate lots of pizza at our
meetings, and had an active social agenda
planned. Please stop by and get to know
your fellow majors, minors, and other
interested students. We’ll also be planning
another big trip.
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Course Updates
Enrollment in the department has increased
dramatically over the last few years and this
has allowed the department to offer a
broader slate of classes. However,
enrollment has expanded more quickly than
available space in most upper-level courses.
As a result, most of the 300-level and 400level classes are full. If you are a major and
intend to graduate this semester, please see
your advisor to gain admission to a class.
Majors who are not graduating should
contact Gay Catherman in 609 Kern. Do not
contact the instructor.
However, one course, ECON 497B,
Personnel Economics, has space available.
The course will discuss wage and
compensation issues and it is a perfect fit for
anyone who has an interest in labor
economics.
Given the exceptionally strong demand for
the ECON classes this fall, students are
strongly encouraged to register for the
spring 2004 offerings as soon as possible.
Please consult the registration timeline put
out by the registrar for all the details.
Furthermore, increased enrollments have
allowed the department to schedule a more
comprehensive set of summer offerings.
This past summer, this included ECON 302,
304, 333, 351, 390 and 490.
Fall Advising Hours
Be sure to check when your advisor is
available on the Department Web site:
www.econ.psu.edu. Advising schedules are
listed in the undergraduate program header.
Please remember that finals week is reserved
for emergency cases and that advising
should be done during the regular semester.
Evaluating Transfer Credit
New!!! A transfer evaluation database is
now available on the Penn State Admissions
Web page: http://www.psu.edu/admissions/
(click on the “Evaluate Transfer Courses”
button). This site gives you the opportunity
to see how courses you have taken, or plan
to take, will transfer to Penn State from
another institution.
There are two ways to search the database;
students can identify a course at another
institution and search for its Penn State
equivalent, or the reverse—they can identify
a course they need at Penn State, and search
for its equivalent elsewhere. This system
provides an extraordinary amount of
flexibility, so try it out!
Suggestions for future issues and
comments should be directed to Dirk
Mateer (dmateer@psu.edu).
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This publication is available in alternative
media on request.
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to personal characteristics not related to
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The Pennsylvania State University prohibits
discrimination and harassment against any
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Affirmative Action Director, The
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Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901,
tel. 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY.
U.Ed. LBA 04-35
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