Chair of the Department and Professor
B.A. – Colgate University
M.A. – Cornell University
Ph.D. – Cornell University
Kirby Hall 207
336.758.4523
griffial@wfu.edu
Research Interests: Economics of Education, Labor Economics, Public Economics
See also WFU Expert File Listing
Amanda Griffith attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, double-majoring in Biology and Economics. Following graduation, she began her graduate studies in Economics at Cornell University with a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She received her Master of Arts in Economics in January 2008 and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in August 2009. Her research focuses on the Economics of Higher Education. In particular, she is interested in studying students’ choices of type of college and major, and how this affects their labor market outcomes. Additionally, she studies how institutional policies such as financial aid and institutional spending can affect the distribution and success of students enrolled at a college or university.
Courses
Econ 150: Principles of Economics
Econ 209: Applied Econometrics
Econ 235: Economics of Labor Markets
Econ 236: Economics of Higher Education
Featured Publications
- “Faculty Gender in the College Classroom: Does it matter for achievement and major choice?” (2014) Southern Economic Journal. 81(1) 211-231 .
- “Peer Effects in Higher Education: A look at heterogeneous impacts.” (with Kevin N. Rask) (2014) Economics of Education Review. 39. 65-77.
- “Using PGA Tour Results to Illustrate the Effects of Selection Bias” (with Todd A. McFall) (2013) Journal of Economic Education. 44(3). 238-48.
- “Behavioral Responses to Epidemics in an Online Experiment” (with Frederick Chen, Allin Cottrell, & Yue-Ling Wong) (2013) PLOS One. January 9, 2013.
- “Keeping up with the Joneses: Institutional changes following the adoption of a merit aid policy.” (2011). Economics of Education Review. 30(5).
Working Papers
- The effect of institutional expenditures on employment outcomes and earnings (with Kevin N. Rask) under review
- “The Cost-Quality Trade-off in the Matriculation Decisions of High Ability Students.” (with Kevin N. Rask)
- The impact of advising on student course performance and grades. (with Joyce Main). Under Review.
- A model of college housing choice (with Francis Flanagan and Justin Burkett).
- Factors affecting major choice and occupational choice of minority students (with Ronald G. Ehrenberg & Gary Cohen).
- “Test-Optional Admissions: Increasing Access or Selectivity?” (with Emily K. Rizik & Claire Hammond)
- “Institutional Fit and College Success of Low-Income and Minority Students”
- “The importance of Relative Tuition Levels in the Formation of the College Application Choice Set.”