The Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies hosted its 8th annual Junior Independent Work (JIW) Research Forum, a space for current seniors to present their JIW journey and academic experiences. Juniors in the department are beginning their Junior Independent Work, which provides them with the opportunity to explore their individual research interests in depth and trains them in the craft of conducting academic research in economics. The forum creates an important space for seniors to present their work and for juniors to learn from their experiences and ask questions.

This year, Ivy Chen, Lora Kwon, William Neumann, Michael Ozcelik, and Chloe Zhu were selected to present their compelling research, which ranged in focus from healthcare to crime, to the junior class, broadening the horizons of potential research areas and methodologies.

The speakers’ topics and paper titles were as follows:

• Ivy Chen ’27: The Effect of Restricted Abortion Access on Female Community College Enrollment in the Post-Roe Era
• Lora Kwon ’27: Access to the Wheel: Evidence from the American Community Survey on Undocumented Immigrant Driver’s License Reforms
• William Neumann ’27: Mergers in the Sky, Grounded Economies: How Hub Loss Slows Local Growth
• Michael Ozcelik ’27: When the Subway Breaks: Service Disruptions and Localized Crime in New York City
• Chloe Zhu ’27: The Effects of Mandatory English Disclosure on Foreign Institutional Ownership in Japanese Companies

Following their presentations, the Q&A session encouraged juniors to seek guidance on specific aspects of their JIW process. Watch the forum recording to learn more about the research presented.