Professor Steve DeLoach's study highlights how the Issues in Political Economy journal and conference enhance undergraduate research, fostering critical thinking and career readiness.
Undergraduate research is a crucial step in helping students transition from learners to contributors in their fields. Steve DeLoach, professor of economics at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, examines this impact in his research titled, “Undergraduate journals and conferences: Pathways to understanding the economics profession” published in The Journal of Economic Education.
His study focuses on Issues in Political Economy or IPE, a long-standing undergraduate journal and conference at Elon University that enables students to present and publish peer-reviewed research.
By providing students with real-world research experiences, IPE helps them develop essential skills and confidence for their academic and professional futures.
Key Findings:
- Public dissemination of research enhances critical thinking, communication, and professional identity.
- IPE provides students with experience in peer review, editing, and conference presentations.
- Engaging in research publication and conferences fosters self-confidence and prepares students for graduate studies and careers.
- Elon University integrates IPE into its economics curriculum, requiring all majors to complete a two-semester thesis with peer-review participation.
- Only one-third of universities offer off-campus presentation opportunities, highlighting a need for expanded access.
“Presenting my research at the Eastern Economics Association conference in New York City was an amazing experience,” says Anna Kauffman ’25, an economics major from Philadelphia, PA. “Discussing my work on poverty and pollution-induced cancer rates with students and faculty allowed me to think more deeply about the relationship between my variables and refine my ideas.”
The IPE conference was held on February 20 in New York City this year, and over 60 students attended.
“My research examined the time use of people with disabilities, an under-researched topic, but one that was very important to me personally,” said Juliette Krycia ’25, an economics major from Severna Park, Maryland. “The conference gave me the chance to share that passion with others.”
DeLoach has been a member of Elon University since 1996. His research interests include macroeconomics, financial inclusion and household resilience.