Riley Acton
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riacton.bsky.social
Riley Acton
@riacton.bsky.social
5.3K followers 1.7K following 700 posts
education economist
ap at miami university (yes, the one in ohio)
https://www.rileyacton.com/
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riacton.bsky.social
Riley Acton @riacton.bsky.social · Sep 8
🚨 New working paper alert! 🚨 #econsky

Emily Cook, Paola Ugalde, and I are thrilled to share "Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America" — now out with both @iza.org and @annenberginstitute.bsky.social EdWorkingPapers

www.iza.org/publications...

edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1280
Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America Riley Acton Miami University & IZA Emily Cook Texas A&M University & CESifo Paola Ugalde A. Louisiana State University We examine the role of students’ political views in shaping college enrollment decisions in the United States. We hypothesize that students derive utility from attending institutions aligned with their political identities, which could reinforce demographic and regional disparities in educational attainment and reduce ideological diversity on campuses. Using four decades of survey data on college freshmen, we document increasing political polarization in colleges' student bodies, which is not fully explained by sorting along demographic, socioeconomic, or academic lines. To further explore these patterns, we conduct a series of survey-based choice experiments that quantify the value students place on political alignment relative to factors such as cost and proximity. We find that both liberal and conservative students prefer institutions with more like-minded peers and, especially, with fewer students from the opposite side of the political spectrum. The median student is willing to pay up to $2,617 (12.5%) more to attend a college where the share of students with opposing political views is 10 percentage points lower, suggesting that political identity plays a meaningful role in the college choice process.
Reposted by Riley Acton
robfordmancs.bsky.social
Absolutely no one will be shocked by the answer
johnholbein1.bsky.social John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · 20h
Are female economists treated differently than males in academic seminars?

These authors wanted to know whether gender shapes how scholars are treated when presenting research.

So they built a massive dataset of 2,000+ economics seminars, job talks, and conference presentations from 2019–2023...
February 3, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
miamiecon.bsky.social
Interested in the faculty you may work with in our MA program? To just name a few are Dr. Riley Acton, Dr. Peter Nencka. Dr. Chuck Moul, Dr. Jonathan Wolff, Dr. Jing Li, Dr. David Lindequist, Dr Kim Berg, and Dr. Jim Flynn. Take a look at their research! miamioh.edu/fsb/director...
February 2, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Riley Acton
imbernomics.bsky.social
Let’s be clear- the cost here is dead kids.
February 1, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
upjohninstitute.bsky.social
Working on your PhD? Looking for dissertation funding?

The Russell Sage Foundation and the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research jointly support dissertation research on employment-related topics in any discipline.

#Fundsocsci, #Econsky, @russellsagefdn.bsky.social
January 31, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
filipecampante.bsky.social
Americans may not appreciate how unique the US college experience is. In Brazil, you go into a degree in, say, economics or engineering or law or whatever, and you take the courses that the Ministry of Education has deemed that someone needs to take to get that degree. That’s pretty much it.
joshchafetz.bsky.social Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 4d
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:
1. History of Science from Galileo to Newton
2. Kant's First Critique
3. Game Theory and Politics
4. Tolkien and Modern English Culture
5. Theological Hermeneutics
jackiantonovich.bsky.social Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 4d
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:
1. Marine Biology (we got to go out on a boat!)
2. The History of the Holocaust
3. Logic and Critical Thinking
4. Eastern Religions
5. The French Revolution
January 31, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
miamiecon.bsky.social
February 1st is the deadline for completed MA apps for financial assistance. Apps will still be looked over after. Be sure to get your apps complete to join our great program!!
miamioh.edu/fsb/graduate...
January 30, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Riley Acton
ckronenberg.bsky.social
For absolutely no reason, let me remind people of this banger of a paper by @caroartc.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1016/j.jp...
January 30, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Reposted by Riley Acton
schnepel.bsky.social
ATTN ECON JMCs: We are searching for a postdoc through to work with Steve Billings, Ludo Gazze and myself on a project to better understand impacts of lead exposure and potential benefits of remediation using linked administrative data in Colorado. Details here: jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
PostDoctoral Associate
jobs.colorado.edu
January 29, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Reposted by Riley Acton
gawkyghostie.bsky.social
If you want to help the Haitian community in Springfield, consider donating to the Haitian Community Help and Support Center. They are a local non-profit that helps Haitians in their city with education, economic security, legal services, and more.

haitiansupportcenter.org
January 28, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
victorerikray.bsky.social
This happens once a week teaching undergraduates.
adamserwer.bsky.social Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 6d
I spoke to a woman at the protest in minneapolis and she explained she wanted to be there in part because "i was a kid when george floyd got killed" and i nearly dropped my recorder
January 28, 2026 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
drkevinrmcclure.com
Question for my higher ed people: is your teaching load connected to a specific research output? For example, you have a 2-2 load if and only if you hit certain research targets, otherwise your load goes up?

Thanks!
January 27, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
robertkelchen.com
New research by @imbernomics.bsky.social and colleagues using Texas data dives into different economic returns to college majors by race and gender. There are differences in the share of students going into high-paying fields, as well as earnings within those fields.
The Contribution of College Majors to Gender and Racial Earnings Differences
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
January 26, 2026 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by Riley Acton
leahmcelrath.bsky.social
Alex Jeffrey Pretti was the victim’s name.

He was a nurse.

ICE executed a nurse.

www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
Jeff Day JANUARY 24, 2026 AT 12:34 PM Sources identify man shot as Alex Jeffrey Pretti of south Minneapolis The man fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis this morning has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Pretti, 37, has an address listed in south Minneapolis. At a news conference, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man who was shot was a 37-year-old white man with no serious criminal history and a record that showed some parking tickets. Law enforcement sources said Saturday their records show Pretti had no serious criminal history. O'Hara said the man was a "lawful gun owner" with a permit. Records show that Pretti attended the University of Minnesota. State records show Pretti was issued a nursing license in 2021, and it remains active through March 2026.
January 24, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
bitsyperlman.bsky.social
❤️ Minnesota
January 24, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
johnvoorheis.bsky.social
Don't kill people

Don't lie

Don't lie about killing people
January 24, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
miamiecon.bsky.social
Be sure to check out some work from our own Professor Riley Acton @riacton.bsky.social.
nber.org NBER @nber.org · 15d
Community college bachelor’s degrees pay off in some fields but not all, offering higher earnings than associate degrees and mixed returns relative to traditional BAs, from Riley K. Acton, Camila Morales, Kalena Cortes, Julia A. Turner, and @loismiller.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34684
January 22, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
conradhackett.bsky.social
Please share - multiple summer 2026 in-person undergrad internship opportunities at @pewresearch.org!
- religion
- digital
- social trends
- data journalism
- global
- news
- internet
- AI
- admin
- race
- science
- methods
- politics

Apply soon!
pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Center...
The summer undergraduate internship is a paid opportunity during the summer of 2026. Interns are expected to work a minimum of 30 hours/week and are paid $18.50/hour. This internship is available to undergraduate students with an interest in public opinion, survey research, and data science. Pew Research Center is an office-based workplace, with all staff working in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).  Staff have the flexibility to work remotely up to two days per week. A modest relocation stipend is available for candidates who need it. Internship dates: June 1-Aug. 14, 2026 (with alternative dates of June 15-Aug. 28, 2026 also available) Education/Training/Experience College students who are pursuing a bachelor’s or associate degree and have completed a minimum of two years (in other words, rising juniors and seniors).
January 20, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
loismiller.bsky.social
Keep an eye out from more work from us as a group and solo work from @julia-turner.bsky.social who will be on the job market next year!
January 20, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
loismiller.bsky.social
Growing phenomenon that you might not be aware of: a lot of community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees! This descriptive piece is the start of a research agenda with my wonderful coauthors @riacton.bsky.social @julia-turner.bsky.social @camilantmorales.bsky.social and Kalena Cortes
nber.org NBER @nber.org · 15d
Community college bachelor’s degrees pay off in some fields but not all, offering higher earnings than associate degrees and mixed returns relative to traditional BAs, from Riley K. Acton, Camila Morales, Kalena Cortes, Julia A. Turner, and @loismiller.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34684
January 20, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
nber.org
Community college bachelor’s degrees pay off in some fields but not all, offering higher earnings than associate degrees and mixed returns relative to traditional BAs, from Riley K. Acton, Camila Morales, Kalena Cortes, Julia A. Turner, and @loismiller.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34684
January 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
carajackson.bsky.social
#EdResearch folks - early bird registration for the annual Association for Education Finance & Policy conference ends TODAY! Join us in Chicago for lots of great discussions about the research and policy.

aefpweb.org/2026conference
AEFP
aefpweb.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:57 PM
riacton.bsky.social
Happy to have this descriptive piece with @camilantmorales.bsky.social, Kalena Cortes, @julia-turner.bsky.social, & @loismiller.bsky.social out!

Look for more causal work on this topic from our team in the near future 👀
robertkelchen.com Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 16d
A new NBER working paper by @riacton.bsky.social and colleagues finds economic benefits to a community college baccalaureate relative to an associate degree, but that an earnings penalty still exists in tech fields relative to a traditional bachelor's degree.
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees: How CCB Graduates’ Earnings Compare to AAs and BAs
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
January 19, 2026 at 12:40 PM
riacton.bsky.social
You have cute 2016 pictures to re-share on your Instagram. I just have pictures of whiteboards with MWG problems on them from my first year of grad school. We are not the same. 🥲
January 17, 2026 at 4:38 PM
riacton.bsky.social
A great syllabus addition to your micro, education, or public policy course!
aefplivehandbook.bsky.social AEFP Live Handbook @aefplivehandbook.bsky.social · 19d
Learn more about the difference between posted and net tuition and how it impacts students in Emily Cook and Sarah Turner's chapter on College Pricing in the U.S.: lnkd.in/gn-Hciw6
January 16, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Reposted by Riley Acton
aefplivehandbook.bsky.social
Learn more about the difference between posted and net tuition and how it impacts students in Emily Cook and Sarah Turner's chapter on College Pricing in the U.S.: lnkd.in/gn-Hciw6
January 16, 2026 at 4:47 PM