Areas of Interests
Technology and the Economics of Innovation
Economic Development
Empirics of International Trade
Learning and Pedagogy
Economic Development
Empirics of International Trade
Learning and Pedagogy
Journal Articles in Progress
Play to Learn: Assessing Knowledge of Economics Concepts and Increasing Student Engagement using an Innovative Game Design Project (with Shweta Khailani).
The Effect of Stereotypes on Black College Test Scores at a Historically Black University (with Mackenzie Alston, William Darity, Jr., Catherine Eckel, and Rhonda Sharpe).
Journal Articles Published
Multigroup R&D and Sales Performance in the United States (with Gbenga Ojumu). International Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives 2019, 14 (1).
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2014. The objective of NAFTA was to increase the efficiency and fairness of trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This study utilizes industry-level panel data over the period 1987-2016 to evaluate labor productivity in the United States within key manufacturing industries since the United States joined NAFTA. Growth in labor productivity is an important economic driver of rising economic output and improved living standards. Results show bi-directional correlations between trade, exchange rates, and labor productivity, which underscore the impact of NAFTA on the United States’ labor market
International Trade and Labor Productivity in the United States: A NAFTA Perspective (with Farzana Bindu and Gbenga Ojumu). International Journal of Business and Applied Sciences 2019, 8 (1), pp. 13-21.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2014. The objective of NAFTA was to increase the efficiency and fairness of trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This study utilizes industry-level panel data over the period 1987-2014 to evaluate labor productivity in the United States within key manufacturing industries since the United States joined NAFTA. Growth in labor productivity is an important economic driver of rising economic output and improved living standards. Results show strong bi-directional correlations between trade, exchange rates, and labor productivity, which underscore the impact of NAFTA on the United States’ labor market.
The Economic Impact of Prairie View A&M University on Waller County, the Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land MSA, and the State of Texas (with Munir Quddus, Rahim Quazi, Sonja Langley, and Michael Williams). Midwestern Business and Economic Review, 2014, no. 50.
This study presents estimates of the economic impact of Prairie View A&M University on the local, regional, and state economy in 2012. The primary measurement variables used were direct spending, total output, value-added, labor income, and employment. This report also highlights the non-quantifiable impacts through a summary of the research and service contributions of various organizations on campus thatserve the greater community. With the use of IMPLANsoftware, the study finds the direct spending impact on the economies of Waller County, the greater Houston region, and the State of Texas was $122 million, $227 million, and $267 million, respectively.
The Impact of Export Demand on Domestic Productivity Improvement. Global Business and Economics Research Journal, 2014, Vol. 3.
A nation’s ability to export goods greatly influences its ability to exploit economies of scale or technology transfers, which can lead to improved domestic productivity. This paper uncovers the relationship between export demand and productivity among a sample of 46 diverse nations, while controlling for the sample nations’ level of development. The econometric model also accounts for other important variables impacting productivity, specifically technology, savings rates, and net foreign direct investment. Results indicate that export demand is a significantly important correlate with productivity, particularly within developing nations.
The Impact of Trade Finance on International Trade: Does Financial Development Matter? (co-authored with Daniel Perez) Research in Business and Economics Journal, 2013, Vol. 8.
Approximately 80 percent of global trade relies heavily on some version of trade finance. This paper seeks to further our understanding of the relationship between trade flows and the availability of trade finance, while accounting for the development of the sample countries’ financial sectors. The model also controlled for additional established variables that significantly influence trade patterns, such as import/export demand and exchange rates. Our results indicate that trade finance is a positive correlate with export and import volumes. However, we find that trade finance becomes even more important in determining trade volumes when countries have a higher level of financial development.
Trade and Foreign R&D Spillovers: Industry-Level Evidence from South America (with Sonja Langley). Journal of International Business and Economics, 2010, Vol. 10, no. 3.
Trade costs and absorptive capacity are controlled for to determine the role of innovation investment on total factor productivity of three South American countries. In addition to R&D spillovers, both were found to be significant correlates with domestic productivity. This study is a relevant determination of how innovation impacts industry production process within Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. Results show that foreign R&D has a mixed impact on the manufacturing industries within these countries.
Technology Diffusion and Economic Growth: Controlling for Sector Productivities and Absorptive Capacity. International Journal of Business and Economics Perspectives, Fall 2010, Vol. 5, no. 2.
When investment in research and development (R&D) occurs in one country, and a portion of the subsequent benefits of that investment accrue to other countries, those benefits are termed R&D spillovers. The benefit of acquiring R&D spillovers is that spillovers lead to improved efficiency of existing factors of production. This study assesses R&D spillovers’ impact on the manufacturing industry of 10 developing economies. Results show that foreign R&D generally has a positive impact on the manufacturing industry. This impact is strongest when foreign R&D is imported into sectors that are more productive with respect to their levels of capital and labor inputs.
Discrimination in Mortgage Lending in Washington, D.C.: A Mixed Methods Approach (with Rodney Green, Padma Venkatachalam, and Emily Blank). Review of Black Political Economy, Fall 2005, Vol. 33, pp. 9-30.
The present study is a result of a collaboration between Howard University Center for Urban Progress and a community-based organization. It reviews community-based research in general and previous work on mortgage lending in particular. It then presents three statistical techniques to assess racial disparity and possible discrimination resulting from application to Washington, DC. The three techniques are an adjusted dissimilarity index approach, a cross-tabulation approach, and a logistic regression approach. It then describes a qualitative research technique based on structured interviews with 15 bank officers from six banks, casting further light on the possible presence of racial discrimination in mortgage lending.
The present study is a result of a collaboration between Howard University Center for Urban Progress and a community-based organization. It reviews community-based research in general and previous work on mortgage lending in particular. It then presents three statistical techniques to assess racial disparity and possible discrimination resulting from application to Washington, DC. The three techniques are an adjusted dissimilarity index approach, a cross-tabulation approach, and a logistic regression approach. It then describes a qualitative research technique based on structured interviews with 15 bank officers from six banks, casting further light on the possible presence of racial discrimination in mortgage lending.
Working Papers