Prof. Nunes and Business Student Arseniy Shafran Present at NYC Economics Conference

Débora Machado Nunes, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, and Arseniy Shafran, business undergraduate student, recently represented Monmouth University at the inaugural John Jay-New School Conference on Contemporary Political Economy in New York City. The conference is a new collaborative initiative between the economics departments at John Jay College (CUNY) and The New School for Social Research.

Nunes organized a panel dedicated to showcasing exceptional undergraduate research for this conference. "This platform provides a unique opportunity for students like Arseniy to present their work, receive critical feedback, and network with scholars from across the country," she said.

Shafran was one of three undergraduate students selected to present his research, which examines the complex relationship between financialization and inequality, exploring how financial inclusion can alleviate poverty while mitigating potential adverse effects. "Overall, this experience was exceptionally valuable, as it provided opportunities to engage with numerous economists and helped me decide to pursue development economics as a long-term career," Shafran said.

In a separate panel, Nunes also presented her working paper, "Short-Term Challenges of Long-Term Growth: Gendered Consequences of Infrastructure Projects in Brazil." This work, co-authored with Vinícius Curti Cícero, Ph.D. (Denison University), uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate the short-term consequences of infrastructure projects on local households in Brazil, focusing on the Ferro-Carjás railroad case to highlight the specific challenges faced by women and girls during the constructions phase of this project.

Nunes and Shafran's participation in this conference was made possible through the support of the Leon Hess Business School and the LHBS Business Council. "Their commitment to fostering faculty and student research excellence is helping to elevate Monmouth University's presence in the field of economics," added Nunes.