Participating in LSBE's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) is quite an accomplishment unto itself. Having your UROP's research published greatly surpasses that distinction by miles.
Sungkook Lee, a senior majoring in both economics and math, with aspirations of being an economic researcher, accomplished both major milestones. His UROP research paper, "What Factors Cause Jobless Recoveries in Minnesota?" was published in the Proceedings of the National Conference of Undergraduate Research 2013.
With advising support from Assistant Professor of Economics, Luiggi Donayre, Lee began the project in Spring 2013 completing it in the summer. He and Prof. Donayre met approximately two hours a week for Prof. Donayre to provide guidance on research methods.
"I am specifically interested in jobless recoveries in the U.S.," said Lee. "Analyzing this issue, I found that jobless recoveries in Minnesota can be explained by a combination of different factors: a change in the structure of labor markets due to sectorial shifts and a change in the hiring strategies of firms from hiring on extensive margins to hiring on intensive margins, or some combination of both. Further, I am currently extending that work to the aggregate level. It has been a great experience."
Lee, who is in the process of applying to graduate school to obtain his Ph.D., encourages fellow students to pursue UROPs.
"Macroeconomics and Econometrics are the major fields of concentration in which I would like to deepen my understanding in a Ph.D. program," he said. "I strongly recommend any junior or senior LSBE student to try a UROP because it will enhance his/her analytic ability (critical thinking and data analysis), especially if s/he wants to go to graduate school."
Lee is also pursuing a second UROP with Prof. Donayre, who firmly believes in empowering his students to be successful researchers.
"I am fully committed to helping students familiarize themselves with Economic research and learn the quantitative tools that will help them provide answers to the economic questions they are interested in, and to guiding them through the process of becoming more familiar with economic thinking and even applying to graduate school.
"Sungkook's research is the type of research that graduate schools seek from undergraduate students."