Robert M. Lantis
Robert M. Lantis Department of Economics Purdue University 403 W. State Street West Lafayette, IN 47907 Phone: (269) 338-4994 Email: [email protected] Website: web.ics.purdue.edu/~rlantis Citizenship: United States CURRENT POSITION Purdue University Center for Research in Economics (PURCE) Fellow, 2014-Present EDUCATION Ph.D. Economics, Purdue University, 2014 Dissertation: “Essays in Education and Health Economics” Committee: John Barron (co-chair), Kevin Mumford (co-chair), Justin Tobias, Tim Cason M.S. Economics, Purdue University, 2013 B.S. Economics, Purdue University, 2009 Graduation with Highest Distinction, Minor in Mathematics RESEARCH INTERESTS Labor Economics, Public Economics, Experimental Economics, Economics of Education TEACHING INTERESTS Labor Economics, Public Economics, Game Theory, International Trade, Experimental Economics, Behavioral Economics, Health Economics, Industrial Organization RESEARCH “Academic Performance, Effort Choice, and the Role of Peers” Under Review “The Role of Unemployment Insurance on Alcohol Use and Abuse Following Job Loss” (joint work with Brittany Teahan) Under Review “Birds of a Feather Flock Together, but Does it Matter?: Inter and Intra Race Effects of Peer Ability” Under Review “Charter Student’s Impacts Upon Re-entry into Public Schools” RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Research assistant to Kevin Mumford, Fall 2013-Summer 2014 Research assistant to Gabriele Camera, Fall 2009-Summer 2012 Assisted in running experiments and writing z-Tree code which led to a publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences TEACHING EXPERIENCE Recitation Instructor Course Instructor Introduction to Economics Microeconomics Spring 2010 Summer 2011 Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Econometrics Macroeconomics (MBA) Behavioral Economics Microeconomics (Graduate) Econometrics (Graduate) Fall 2009 Fall 2010, Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 2013, Fall 2013 AWARDS AND HONORS Teaching Awards Krannert School of Management, Certificate for Outstanding Recitation Krannert School of Management, Award for Outstanding Teaching Academic Honors and Grants Purdue Economic Research Center Fellowship Purdue Research Foundation Grant, Purdue University Tuition Remission and Graduate Assistantship, Purdue University Spring 2010 Summer 2011 Fall 2014-Present Fall 2012-Spring 2013 Fall 2009-Summer 2014 PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Referee, Contemporary Economic Policy PAPER ABSTRACTS Academic Performance, Effort Choice, and the Role of Peers This paper identifies how a student’s effort choice, measured by hours studied per week, is affected by their peers’ ability, which is absent from the literature. Empirical identification comes from exogenous peer group changes arising from school consolidations, creating a set of “non-carryover’ peers. Unlike previous literature this paper emphasizes how the relative ability position impacts the effect of peer ability on both hours studied and academic performance. The effect of peer ability on hours studied is found to be negative for the lowest relative ability students, but positive and of the greatest magnitude for those of the highest relative ability. The effect of peer ability on academic performance is found to be positive for all students, but greatest for those students closest to their median peer, and decreases as the relative ability moves away from this position. The Role of Unemployment Insurance on Alcohol Use and Abuse Following Job Loss (joint with Brittany Teahan) We investigate whether unemployment insurance (UI) policy affects the drinking behavior of the unemployed, which is absent from the literature. Using NLSY data supplemented with Geocode data, we estimate the effect of benefit replacement rates on changes in individual alcohol consumption following job loss. Identification relies on variation in replacement rates across states and over time. Results indicate higher unemployment benefits increase both overall alcohol consumption and the probability an individual abuses alcohol upon job loss. Individuals' responsiveness to changes in replacement rates vary based on drinking history with moderate drinkers the most sensitive to changes. Birds of a Feather Flock Together, but Does it Matter?: Inter and Intra Race Effects of Peer Ability This paper explores how the effect of peer ability from different racial groups affects the academic performance of a student, and how this varies with the student's own race. This is motivated by the phenomena called homophily, and a larger sociology literature on the role race plays in social networks. Results show that a student's academic performance is affected more by same race peer ability as opposed to different race peers. Furthermore, this paper identifies how inter and intra race effects of peer ability are impacted by the racial composition of the school or peer group, which is not present in the current literature. Estimates show that the effect of peer ability from same race peers is greater when the student is a part of the minority of the student's school or peer group. Additionally, effects become even more pronounced for students belonging to a minority group in an environment with a strong majority. Results confirm peer race plays a role in student interactions, and suggests that instructors and administrators should be aware of the dynamics that exist between racial groups within the classroom. REFERENCES John Barron Department of Economics Purdue University Phone: (765) 494-4451 Email: [email protected] Justin Tobias Department of Economics Purdue University Phone: (765) 494-8570 Email: [email protected] Kevin Mumford Department of Economics Purdue University Phone: (765) 494-6773 Email: [email protected]
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