Riley Acton
@riacton.bsky.social
Pinned
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
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
Reposted by Riley Acton
We're going through the second 100-year shock to the academic job market in the past 5 years
Update on the state of the job market courtesy of a nudge by @gottliebecon.bsky.social
It's bad!
paulgp.com/2025/11/24/j...
It's bad!
paulgp.com/2025/11/24/j...
Economics Job Market Update: November 2025 - A Historic Low
paulgp.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:21 AM
We're going through the second 100-year shock to the academic job market in the past 5 years
Gemini, my new best colleague
November 24, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Gemini, my new best colleague
Reposted by Riley Acton
Be sure to take a look at something interesting one of our professors did for his Principles of Micro classes!
I (vibe)coded a game to teach my Prin of Microeconomics students the difference between one-shot and repeated games and how cooperation in repeated games can work.
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
November 24, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Be sure to take a look at something interesting one of our professors did for his Principles of Micro classes!
Once again, I say, my colleagues rock
I (vibe)coded a game to teach my Prin of Microeconomics students the difference between one-shot and repeated games and how cooperation in repeated games can work.
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
November 24, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Once again, I say, my colleagues rock
Reposted by Riley Acton
I (vibe)coded a game to teach my Prin of Microeconomics students the difference between one-shot and repeated games and how cooperation in repeated games can work.
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
November 24, 2025 at 5:22 PM
I (vibe)coded a game to teach my Prin of Microeconomics students the difference between one-shot and repeated games and how cooperation in repeated games can work.
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
Try it and let me know if anything is broken :-)
dashing-travesseiro-939e66.netlify.app
Next: Balatro-style game theory roguelite?
Reposted by Riley Acton
You know higher ed is in real trouble when the econ job market is suffering - currently below 2020 levels.
November 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
You know higher ed is in real trouble when the econ job market is suffering - currently below 2020 levels.
Reposted by Riley Acton
The obsession with Ivy+ colleges is overrated
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
November 24, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The obsession with Ivy+ colleges is overrated
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
Reposted by Riley Acton
Looks like we're in the worst year in since 2015.
November 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Looks like we're in the worst year in since 2015.
Reposted by Riley Acton
ED has never considered these degrees to be professional, instead relying on a tiny list put together decades ago (that they barely changed in 2025). It's just that the graduate/professional distinction never really mattered for accessing federal student loans until now.
ICYMI Dept of Education will no longer considers these professional degrees:
Nursing
Public health
Social work
Physician assistant
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Audiology
Speech-language pathology
Social work
Counseling & therapy
Health Admin
A smaller health workforce makes us all sicker
Nursing
Public health
Social work
Physician assistant
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Audiology
Speech-language pathology
Social work
Counseling & therapy
Health Admin
A smaller health workforce makes us all sicker
November 22, 2025 at 10:29 PM
ED has never considered these degrees to be professional, instead relying on a tiny list put together decades ago (that they barely changed in 2025). It's just that the graduate/professional distinction never really mattered for accessing federal student loans until now.
Reposted by Riley Acton
Looking forward to the next iteration of this work, “F- it, we’re doing four robustnesses.”
New paper: Triply Robust Panel Estimators (TROP) by @susanathey.bsky.social @guidoimbens.bsky.social Zhaonan Qu @vivianodavide.bsky.social.
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.21536
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.21536
November 23, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Looking forward to the next iteration of this work, “F- it, we’re doing four robustnesses.”
Great paper! Congrats to you both!!
November 23, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Great paper! Congrats to you both!!
Reposted by Riley Acton
the economic success of the U.S. is significantly built on the land grant universities and in particular their excellent agricultural science tradition.
Really important to stress that the Crown Jewels of the US higher education system were never the Ivies or elite SLACs (other countries have equivalents of these) but the well-funded, large, cheap, and excellently staffed public state university systems bringing high quality education to the masses.
One of the bragging rights that the US ed system had in the 20th century is that we didn't have education tracks. Essentially, any kid could go to a CC or state school & major in whatever they wanted to (obviously an oversimplification). I fear this aspect of the American dream is dying.
November 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
the economic success of the U.S. is significantly built on the land grant universities and in particular their excellent agricultural science tradition.
Reposted by Riley Acton
Huge congrats to my @miamiecon.bsky.social colleague @jieezhong.bsky.social, whose JMP is now forthcoming at AEJ: Applied!
🥳🤩👏
🥳🤩👏
Forthcoming in AEJ: Applied Economics: "Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings" by Jiee Zhong. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings
(Forthcoming Article) - This paper provides new causal evidence on the effects of grade retention on educational
attainment, behavioral outcomes, and labor market performance by analyzing Texas’s read...
www.aeaweb.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Huge congrats to my @miamiecon.bsky.social colleague @jieezhong.bsky.social, whose JMP is now forthcoming at AEJ: Applied!
🥳🤩👏
🥳🤩👏
Reposted by Riley Acton
I am very happy that my JMP found a sweet home!
Huge congrats to my @miamiecon.bsky.social colleague @jieezhong.bsky.social, whose JMP is now forthcoming at AEJ: Applied!
🥳🤩👏
🥳🤩👏
Forthcoming in AEJ: Applied Economics: "Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings" by Jiee Zhong. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
November 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I am very happy that my JMP found a sweet home!
Reposted by Riley Acton
Congratulations to our own Professor Jiee Zhong (@jieezhong.bsky.social) on her forthcoming work! Be sure to check it out.
Forthcoming in AEJ: Applied Economics: "Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings" by Jiee Zhong. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings
(Forthcoming Article) - This paper provides new causal evidence on the effects of grade retention on educational
attainment, behavioral outcomes, and labor market performance by analyzing Texas’s read...
www.aeaweb.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Congratulations to our own Professor Jiee Zhong (@jieezhong.bsky.social) on her forthcoming work! Be sure to check it out.
Despite temporary test score gains, Jiee finds that “third grade retention significantly reduces annual earnings at age 26 by $3,477 (19%)” — driven by increased absenteeism, violent behavior, and juvenile crime, and reduced likelihood of H.S. graduation.
Super important findings for policymakers!
Super important findings for policymakers!
November 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Despite temporary test score gains, Jiee finds that “third grade retention significantly reduces annual earnings at age 26 by $3,477 (19%)” — driven by increased absenteeism, violent behavior, and juvenile crime, and reduced likelihood of H.S. graduation.
Super important findings for policymakers!
Super important findings for policymakers!
Huge congrats to my @miamiecon.bsky.social colleague @jieezhong.bsky.social, whose JMP is now forthcoming at AEJ: Applied!
🥳🤩👏
🥳🤩👏
Forthcoming in AEJ: Applied Economics: "Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings" by Jiee Zhong. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings
(Forthcoming Article) - This paper provides new causal evidence on the effects of grade retention on educational
attainment, behavioral outcomes, and labor market performance by analyzing Texas’s read...
www.aeaweb.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Huge congrats to my @miamiecon.bsky.social colleague @jieezhong.bsky.social, whose JMP is now forthcoming at AEJ: Applied!
🥳🤩👏
🥳🤩👏
Just wait until you say something about the Great Recession and they’re like “yeah, I was in preschool then” 🙃
November 21, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Just wait until you say something about the Great Recession and they’re like “yeah, I was in preschool then” 🙃
Reposted by Riley Acton
Q for the professors: I’m mentoring a few students on their (econ) honors theses. I’m used to giving feedback for grad students, but the objective function/expectations for undergrad work seems necessarily different
How do you differentiate advising research for grad students vs undergrads?
How do you differentiate advising research for grad students vs undergrads?
November 20, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Q for the professors: I’m mentoring a few students on their (econ) honors theses. I’m used to giving feedback for grad students, but the objective function/expectations for undergrad work seems necessarily different
How do you differentiate advising research for grad students vs undergrads?
How do you differentiate advising research for grad students vs undergrads?
I focus way more on the learning process than on the final results (null effects, pre-trends that can’t be killed, bad first stage, etc. are all fine!).
I also don’t stress about a large or novel contribution to the literature. A minor tweak or new application of existing work is great!
I also don’t stress about a large or novel contribution to the literature. A minor tweak or new application of existing work is great!
November 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I focus way more on the learning process than on the final results (null effects, pre-trends that can’t be killed, bad first stage, etc. are all fine!).
I also don’t stress about a large or novel contribution to the literature. A minor tweak or new application of existing work is great!
I also don’t stress about a large or novel contribution to the literature. A minor tweak or new application of existing work is great!
I don’t have PhD students, so I advise undergrad and masters theses regularly!
To me, success looks like:
- Cleaned & appropriately structured data
- Appropriate, but often simple, methodology (descriptive regressions, diff in diff, maybe an IV)
- Clearly written/explained results
To me, success looks like:
- Cleaned & appropriately structured data
- Appropriate, but often simple, methodology (descriptive regressions, diff in diff, maybe an IV)
- Clearly written/explained results
November 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I don’t have PhD students, so I advise undergrad and masters theses regularly!
To me, success looks like:
- Cleaned & appropriately structured data
- Appropriate, but often simple, methodology (descriptive regressions, diff in diff, maybe an IV)
- Clearly written/explained results
To me, success looks like:
- Cleaned & appropriately structured data
- Appropriate, but often simple, methodology (descriptive regressions, diff in diff, maybe an IV)
- Clearly written/explained results
Reposted by Riley Acton
Please share this opportunity with any grad students or early-career scholars interested in rural higher education
The National Rural Higher Education Research Center at MDRC is now taking applications for the first cohort of the Rural Research Mentorship Network
www.mdrc.org/work/project...
The National Rural Higher Education Research Center at MDRC is now taking applications for the first cohort of the Rural Research Mentorship Network
www.mdrc.org/work/project...
National Rural Higher Education Research Center | MDRC
Funded by the U.S.
www.mdrc.org
November 20, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Please share this opportunity with any grad students or early-career scholars interested in rural higher education
The National Rural Higher Education Research Center at MDRC is now taking applications for the first cohort of the Rural Research Mentorship Network
www.mdrc.org/work/project...
The National Rural Higher Education Research Center at MDRC is now taking applications for the first cohort of the Rural Research Mentorship Network
www.mdrc.org/work/project...
We follow the university policy in our (public, undergrad-focused) b-school. One semester pre-tenure sabbatical and then can apply for one every 7ish years after.
But we’re typically teaching 2-3 classes every semester. I imagine it might be different in places with a built-in 0 load semester?
But we’re typically teaching 2-3 classes every semester. I imagine it might be different in places with a built-in 0 load semester?
November 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
We follow the university policy in our (public, undergrad-focused) b-school. One semester pre-tenure sabbatical and then can apply for one every 7ish years after.
But we’re typically teaching 2-3 classes every semester. I imagine it might be different in places with a built-in 0 load semester?
But we’re typically teaching 2-3 classes every semester. I imagine it might be different in places with a built-in 0 load semester?
Yeah, it’s “assigned research appointment” here 😆
November 20, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Yeah, it’s “assigned research appointment” here 😆
Reposted by Riley Acton
CSWEP strongly condemns Larry Summers’ behavior as revealed in the email correspondence with the late Jeffrey Epstein. While abuse of power in the economics profession is not new, rarely has the intent behind such abuse been so clearly stated.
November 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
CSWEP strongly condemns Larry Summers’ behavior as revealed in the email correspondence with the late Jeffrey Epstein. While abuse of power in the economics profession is not new, rarely has the intent behind such abuse been so clearly stated.