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Two AVÌìÌÃÍø students attended the . Jacob Carson ’25 and Saurabh C. Srivastava ’25 M.S. were selected to present research they developed through faculty-guided projects in economics and data analytics.

From investigating education equity in Connecticut to applying machine learning to public policy questions, both students found the conference to be validating and motivating. With support from faculty mentors and the Pompea College of Business, they confidently stepped into the world of academic research. Below they share their reflections on the experience.

Presenting at the Pennsylvania Economic Association’s Conference was as eye-opening for me as it was exciting. If you asked me in January what my plan was after graduation, I wouldn’t have told you it was presenting my own work to a room full of academics and economic experts.

The paper that I presented was based off of research I conducted for an independent study in the fall semester of my senior year. Gazi Duman, Ph.D., chair and coordinator of Economics and Business Analytics, and I looked at Connecticut’s Open Choice program, which enables students from urban school districts, such as Hartford and New Haven, to permanently attend participating suburban school districts, and vice-versa.

We wanted to see if students from low-income backgrounds were improving their test scores at an equal or greater rate than their peers who stayed in their urban schools — testing the commonly held perception that a school with more money enriches student growth at a better rate. Our findings weren’t promising for the program, but we also felt there was still more work we could do before we could call the study finished.

Going into my presentation, I was concerned that I hadn’t done enough due diligence in my analytical work. To my relief, a lot of professors and researchers had positive comments and compliments for me. It was equally great meeting so many people who shared a similar passion.

In one instance I think I’ll always remember, one professor told me that the work I was doing was courageous and that I should continue to pursue solutions to equitable education. Participating in this conference was an experience I’ll never forget.

My professor, Armando Rodriguez, Ph.D., was instrumental in my participation. He suggested I should submit the paper for this conference to collect more feedback, and he guided me in my preparation. I’m quite grateful for having both Professor Rodriguez’s and Professor Duman’s support and guidance throughout this process, and for Professor John Rosen and Demissew Ejara, Ph.D., as well as Anthony Calabro, Director of Internships, for helping me prepare my presentation.

Participating in the Pennsylvania Economic Association’s Graduate Presentation Competition at Penn State Berks was a transformative experience — one that began not in a conference room, but in the classroom.

Driven by my inquisitive nature and a curiosity sparked during our Unsupervised Machine Learning class, I began questioning how these techniques could be applied to real-world policy challenges. That initial spark led me down a path of exploration. When I finally arrived at a compelling solution, my professor, Dr. Rodriguez, encouraged me to turn it into a full-fledged research paper. What began as a simple classroom question soon evolved into a rigorous data-driven study — and, ultimately, a platform to share my findings with peers and professors from across the region.

The weeks leading up to the conference were intense, with many long hours spent analyzing data and refining my narrative. Just days before the event, Dr. Rodriguez organized a faculty workshop at the Bergami Center to simulate the pressure of a live presentation. The feedback I received from Professors Gazi Murat Duman, John Rosen, and Tony Calabro, was instrumental in shaping both the substance and delivery of my talk. Those final touches made all the difference.

Presenting alongside graduate students, many in the final year of their Ph.D. programs, was daunting, but ultimately inspiring. One of the most valuable takeaways was the opportunity to exchange ideas, offer and receive feedback, and engage in meaningful conversations on how to make our research more impactful.

I’m especially grateful to Dean Brian Kench of the Pompea College of Business for approving and supporting our travel, and to all the faculty who believed in us.

This experience reminded me why I chose data analytics: not just to analyze data, but to extract insights that can shape real-world outcomes.

Jacob Carson ’25 received his bachelor’s degree in Finance and Financial Analytics. Saurabh C Srivastava ’25 M.S. received his master’s degree in Business Analytics.