“Religious children are healthier children, study shows.” TCNJ Magazine recently featured economics Professor Donka Mirtcheva’s research which shows that a child’s involvement with religion has a “positive association” with his or her physical and mental well-being. Dr. Mirtcheva said the findings support a more religion friendly public policy. Read more in TCNJ Magazine (March 2011.)
Senior Michael Stallone was recently invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest honor society, which was founded by five students at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1776. Today there are 280 chapters at American colleges and universities and 61 alumni associations in the country.
In “Harsh N.J. winter, rising food prices put economic strain on residents,” by Robert Stern (Times of Trenton, 2/21/11), Professor Don Vandegrift comments on the impact of weather and changes in farming practices on consumer costs and the economy. Read article here.
Professor Don Vandegrift, Chair of the Department of Economics, recently published “Open Space, House Prices and the Tax Base,” in the Annals of Regional Science with Michael Lahr and “An Experimental Test of Behavior under Team Production” with Abdullah Yavas in Managerial and Decision Economics.
“Religion and Economic Strength as Determinants of Corruption: A Comparison of OPEC and OECD Countries,” by Professor Subarna Samanta, A. M. Zadeh, and Igor Pleskov ’09 will appear in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Management.
Visiting assistant professor of economics, Juan Du, was recently featured in the Times of Trenton (9/5/10) for her expertise in areas of health care economics, in both the U.S. and China. According to Du, China may achieve universal health coverage faster than the U.S. due to fewer institutional rigidities within China. Read interview here. 
Li Liu, Economics ’05, was awarded a fellowship at Oxford University’s Centre for Business Taxation for Fall 2010. Liu is completing her Ph.D. in Economics at Rutgers University. At TCNJ, she was the recipient of the Daniel R. Hall Award and co-authored two papers with faculty members.
Former Lions’ wide receiver Brendan Prophett ’98 (economics) is the director of pro personnel for the NY Jets. He is responsible for evaluating Gang Green’s upcoming adversaries, preparing scouting reports, maintaining emergency lists in case a player is injured and a replacement is needed, tracking other leagues for potential prospects, and assisting with the NFL draft. See TCNJ Magazine (Sept. 2010.)