There are several ways to pursue research in the Business and Economics Department.
The Omicron Delta Epsilon Conference
The faculty have a long history of commitment to undergraduate research in business and economics. Since 1991 Omicron Delta Epsilon (ODE) has sponsored an Undergraduate Business and Economic Conference at Ursinus College. Each spring over 65 students from the tri-state region — including 20 to 25 from Ursinus — present and discuss research.
The Honors Program
Many of the Ursinus students who present at the ODE conference are honors students. Each honors student spends a full academic year working with a faculty member on a research project, examining a wide range of business and economic topics. Several of the honors projects have led to publications in professional and trade journals.
Summer Fellows
Summer Fellows is an eight-week program in which students work with a faculty member on a research project and receive on-campus housing and a stipend.
Independent Research
Many other students will spend a semester focusing on a topic that will develop a deeper understanding of an area of interest. Recently, one student explored the importance of innovation in the video game industry.
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<div class="eyebrow"> Featured Profile </div>
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<a href="/live/profiles/2957-nick-macksoud">Nick Macksoud</a>
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<div class="profile-class-year"> Class of 2016 </div>
<div class="profile-major"> Honors in Business and Economics </div>
<div class="profile-hometown"> Allendale, NJ </div>
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<div class="eyebrow"> Featured Profile </div>
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<a href="/live/profiles/3270-vanessa-scalora">Vanessa Scalora</a>
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<div class="profile-class-year"> Class of 2017 </div>
<div class="profile-major"> Honors in Business and Economics </div>
<div class="profile-hometown"> Narrangansett, RI </div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/31/width/392/height/488/crop/1/src_region/0,0,640,428/37348_Haley_DiCicco.rev.1628863898.jpg" alt="Class of 2020" width="392" height="488" data-max-w="640" data-max-h="428" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/>
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<a href="/live/profiles/5797-haley-diciccio">Haley DiCiccio</a>
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<div class="profile-major"> Honors in Business and Economics </div>
<div class="profile-quote"> Investigated the sunk cost fallacy phenomenon in professional sports. </div>
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Choosing a Topic
In consultation with a faculty member students choose a research topic.
Students have focused their research in several areas: Accounting, Economics, Finance, International, Management, Marketing, Public Policy. Below are some of the topics students have research.
Forensic Accounting: Detection and Prevention of Fraud Amy Brown Published in the PICPA Journal.
Accounting for Stock Based Compensation: Voluntary versus Non-Adopters of FASB Statement 123, Melissa Dunn.
The Effect of CEO Duality on CEO Compensation, Eric Farris
Caught in the Headlights: A Revising of the Roadkill Hypothesis of Antebellum Illinois Free Banks, Scott Clayman.Published in Essays in Economic and Business History
Political Monetary Policy and Deviations from the Taylor Rule, Jeff Vicki. Published in the Conference Proceedings of the Applied Business and Economics
Gender Separate Education: The Effect of Student Achievement and Self-Esteem, Allison Guerin
The Productivity of Government Spending: A Case Study of State Highway Capital Expenditure, Michael Antonelli.
Does Quality Matter? An Hedonic Analysis of College Tuition Prices, Josh Delano
Do Casinos Cannibalize Lottery Revenues: Early Evidence from Pennsylvania, William Stolle. Published in the Pennsylvania Economic Review
The Platinum Formula: Analyzing Musical Trends in Popular Music, Steve Berardi
Experiments on Heterogeneous Expectations in a Simple New Keynesian Model with Large Number of Agents, Atticus Graven
Stock Market Bubbles - Fact or Fiction?, Avinash Shetty Published in the Pennsylvania Economic Review.
Do ETF’s Improve Market Efficiency?, Aaron Sevigny Published in the Investment Management and Financial Innovation journal.
Investment Returns and Public Performance Attributions of Public Pension Funds, Alex Miron.
Closed-End Fund Portfolio Transparency and the Market Price Discount, Jason Entezari
The Effects of Banking Regulation on Banking Efficiency, Ian Jordan
Banking Regulation and the Growth of the SME Sector, LiXiang Poncz
Do Outside Investment Managers Add Value to the Management of Public Pension Plans?, Bindu Pirlamarla
Evaluating the Target Pipeline in a Pharmaceutical Acquisition, Dan Vass
The Impact Technology on the Financial Markets: A Historical Case Study of the Telegraph on the Banking Market, Brandon Kruter
Is Geographic Diversification Associated with Increased Risk?Evidence from the Spanish Banking Crisis, Briana Anderson
Utilizing the Bollinger Bands in a Technical Trading Rule to Predict Returns, Frank Sirch, Published in Undergraduate Business and Economic Research Journal.
Trading Ahead of Bad News: Evidence from Short-sales of Stocks and the Options Market,Nick Macksoud.
Islamic Revolution and Economic Development in Contemporary Iran, Manal Shehabi
Was NAFTA the Cause of Increases in Apparel and Textile Imports into the U.S. from Mexico? Gregory Pellish
How Has China’s Emergence as an Economic Power Affected Other Nations’ Trade Patterns? Matthew Manning
What Drives Corruption? A Cross-National Study, Marina Bitar
Economic Growth in Latin American Countries: An Empirical Analysis, Britton Bongaardt
Leadership Ability: Formative Events and Rhetorical Tactics: MBA Education and Early Miliatray Experiences of Modern CEOs, Tyler Johnson
Does Friendship Matter? Ethical Decision making and Undergraduate College Students, Justin Traino
Global vs. Local: The Case for Differentiated Marketing to Hispanic-American Consumers, Ann McShane
The Effects of Malpractice Tort Reform on Defensive Medicine. Katherine D. Hennesey. Published in Virginia Economic Journal.
Cheating with Honor, A Cross Campus Analysis of Small Liberal Arts Colleges, Chris Pfeifer
Searching for an A: Characteristics of Grade Inflators, Danielle Coellner
Environmental Externalities and Policy Options in Modern Meat Market, Kyoko Yamashita
Corruption and Happiness, Melissa Stratton
Stats of Studs: Does it Pay to be Good Looking?, Lisle O’Neill,
Do Uglier Criminals Get Harsher Sentences? Kelly Beck
How Expected Future Earnings Affect Current Job Performance, Matt Hummel
Shirking, Injuries, and Contract Length in Major League Baseball, Travis Kryder
Choice of Major and Occupational Outcomes: The Case of Economics, Stephanie Stanke
Connecting the Dots: An Economic Study of Parental Factors ShapingChildhood Cognitive Development, Bryn O’Neill
