Some of Macalester’s 2012 economics graduates and juniors were recently awarded top honors for their papers by the Minnesota Economic Association.

For senior thesis, first place went to Adam Freedman '12 for “Mud on Your Face, Big Disgrace vs. The Wisdom of Crowds: Macroforecasters’ Herding Behavior Over Time”, Adviser: Pete Ferderer, Rosamond Mate '12 was awarded third place, “What Factors Influence Consumers’ Decisions to Purchase Energy Star Appliances?”, Adviser: Sarah West.

For term papers, Caroline Davidson '13 (First Place)"How Does Mass Media Exposure Affect Knowledge of Different Contraceptive Techniques Among Women in Brazil", Adviser: Raymond Robertson, Natalie Camplair '13 (Second Place)"Does Proximity to Wind Farms Affect the Value of Nearby Residential Properties? Evidence from Washington and New York States" Adviser: Gary Krueger, William Creedon '13 (Tie - Third Place)"Do Commercial Banks’ Foreign Claims Affect Sovereign Bond Yields in the Euro Zone?", Adviser: Raymond Robertson and Jessica Baier '12 (Tie - Third Place) "Brains Over Brawn: Are There Lower Levels of Wage Discrimination Between the Sexes in Industries that Require Less Physical Strength and More Cognitive Skill?", Adviser: Karine Moe.

Congratulations to Mac economics grads and majors!