Faculty Profile
Anthony Underwood
Associate Professor of Economics (2013)
Contact Information
Althouse Hall Room 216
717-245-1782
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/underwood/
Bio
Professor Underwood earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Colorado State University in 2013. His dissertation examines the role of demographic change, especially declining household size, in determination of household expenditures and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions. He has since published in several academic journals, including the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Energy Policy, Ecological Economics, The Journal of Economic Education, and Review of Political Economy. His research interests include household energy use and emissions, the environmental implications of urban density and the sharing economy, the challenges for climate change mitigation posed by demographic change, and economic education. Professor Underwood regularly teaches environmental economics, econometrics, and microeconomics. In his advanced econometrics course, students practice the importance of reproducible and transparent methods in research through completion of their own empirical research project, which is also the focus of a 2019 publication in The Journal of Economic Education with Professor Emily Marshall. He also teaches courses in population and urban economics and is a contributing faculty member in the Data Analytics department.
Education
- B.S., Purdue University, 2006
- M.A., Colorado State University, 2008
- Ph.D., 2013
2024-2025 Academic Year
Fall 2024
ECON 111 Intro to Microeconomics
A study of the fundamentals of economic analysis and of basic economic institutions, with particular emphasis upon consumer demand and upon the output and pricing decisions of business firms. The implications of actions taken by these decision-makers, operating within various market structures, upon the allocation of resources and the distribution of income are examined. Special attention is given to the sociopolitical environment within which economic decisions are made.
ECON 398 Advanced Econometrics
This course covers some advanced topics in applied econometrics. Students will apply multiple regression analysis to both cross-sectional and longitudinal (panel) data to familiarize students with a variety of advanced econometric techniques including instrumental variable analysis, differences-in-differences methods, limited dependent variable models, and dynamic panel analysis. Students will conduct individual empirical research projects using Stata, or other statistical analysis software widely used in economics, to enable students to understand and apply the conventions of empirical research in economics. We will cover elements of technical writing, reviewing existing literature, data collection and organization, and file management for complete transparency and reproducibility.
Prerequisites: 268 or 278, and 298.
ECON 550 Climate Finance & A Just Trans
Spring 2025
ECON 214 The Circular Economy in France
Permission of Instructor Required. Part of the Green Cuisine Mosaic.
This course covers the principles of a circular economy with a particular focus on the French economy, food system, and policies. In the current economy, we take materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste from being produced in the first place. It is a systems solution based on three principles: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. In 2020, France adopted an ambitious law to shape a system-wide transition towards a circular economy. The French law, referred to in short as the Anti-waste Law, encourages businesses across various sectors, municipalities, and citizens to eliminate waste and adopt more circular practices. The law also aims to promote societal transformation and support the solidarity economy. Through a variety of readings, case studies, and comparative data we will investigate current levels of sustainability in the French economy and food system, progress already made, and the role of cities in transitioning to an economy and food system based on circular economy principles. While in France, students will visit a variety of cities and businesses to determine if, and how, circular economy principles are being applied in the French food system.