Boston College Economics Department

05/28/2026

U.S. defense needs more competition, not more money, writes Assistant Professor of the Practice in Economics Peter Devine, co-author of an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

The Pentagon doesn’t have to rely on legacy suppliers. It can create alternatives that others can produce.

05/26/2026

Professor Tracy Regan was honored at the 2026 Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony held on May 17 with the ’Teacher of the Year Award.’ Each year Phi Beta Kappa inductees are asked to nominate an outstanding teacher who has positively influenced their experience at Boston College, in and/or outside the classroom. Faculty are selected for the award based on the cumulative nominations from students over multiple years. Paul Cichello, a member of the PBK Board, presented Tracy with her award.

05/08/2026

Congratulations to Economics Professor of the Practice Tracy Regan on receiving the Boston College Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award!
Presented annually by students inducted into the University’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the award recognizes outstanding teaching and honors faculty who have made a lasting impact on students’ academic experiences. Recipients are selected based on nominations collected over multiple years.

05/08/2026

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher spoke to Kurtis Lee of the New York Times about how many people "unretire" in a given year, why they might do it, and what role the rising cost of living plays

People return to work for many reasons, but the biggest is financial need. As costs remain high, more retirees could be looking to re-enter the job market.

05/08/2026

Edson Severnini has been appointed a Research Fellow at CESifo, the global, independent research network based in Germany with members from across the world.

CESifo is a global, independent research network with members from across the world. Members are prominent economists with a broad spectrum of specialisms, each of whom brings years of experience and a high level of expertise to our research areas.

04/02/2026

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher discusses options for individuals who have retirement plans from multiple employers.

Reema goes on a hunt to find her long-forgotten retirement accounts from early in her career.

01/23/2026

President Trump has suggested that credit card interest rates should be capped at 10 percent. Professor of Economics Robert Murphy talks about the proposal's feasibility and potential consequences in an interview with Boston 25 News.

Professor Robert Murphy, chair of the economics department at Boston College, joined Kerry Kavanaugh on Boston 25 News Now at 3 p.m. to talk about how feasible President Donald Trump's suggested credit card interest proposal really is and what some unintended consequences could come as a result.

01/23/2026

Professor Rahul Deb has been elected to the Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory in recognition of his scholarly contributions. The Society seeks to advance knowledge in theoretical economics and to facilitate communication among researchers in economics, mathematics, game theory, or any other field which is potentially useful to economic theory.

SAET Conference: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13 – 17, 2026 SAET Please visit the XXV SAET Conference webpage for more info.

01/23/2026

Edson Severnini has been appointed co-editor of the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (JAERE), starting in January 2026. JAERE is a leading journal in environmental, energy, and resource economics, dedicated to publishing high-quality research that informs both academic scholarship and policy-making. Edson continues in his ongoing editorial role at the interdisciplinary journal PNAS Nexus.

Faced with political opposition to efficient carbon pricing, climate policy resorts to alternative instruments, which come with welfare and fiscal costs of acceptability. To assess these costs, this study examines second-best policies combining a constant carbon tax with subsidies to carbon-free ele...

12/08/2025

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher explains how adverse experiences that happen when people are young -- e.g., abuse and neglect -- are associated with lower net worth much later in life.These differences persist even when controlling for family background. The findings highlight the importance of programs like Social Security that can offset some of the damage.

Childhood hardships can cast a long shadow over a person’s finances. A new study from the Center for Retirement Research finds that adults who endured adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and emotional neglect often reach retirement with far less wealth than their peers. Researchers found t...