PERI Research Fellows — 2024

Nicholas Jensen

Nicholas A. Jensen is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Middle Tennessee State University, specializing in public choice, law and economics, and the history of economic thought. His research has been featured in journals like The Journal of the History of Economic Thought and History of Political Economy, with ongoing work examining the effects of prosecutorial turnover on criminal case outcomes and marketplace discrimination. Nicholas has presented his research at prominent academic conferences, including the Southern Economic Association and the American Law & Economics Association. He is also a recipient of the APEE 2024 Young Scholar’s Award and the 2023-2024 Mercatus Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship.

Forthcoming Publications:

The Road to Serfdom and the Definitions of Socialism, Planning, and the Welfare State, 1930-1950

The Socialists’ Hypotheses and The Road to Serfdom

Patricia Hummel

Patricia J. Hummel is a Ph.D. candidate at Middle Tennessee State University, specializing in agricultural economics, public choice, public policy, and financial education. Her research has been featured in the Journal of Financial Education. Ongoing research includes the analysis of tobacco subsidy termination through the Stigler-Peltzman theory of regulation, the effects of the termination, and the subsequent buyout payments, on tobacco production in the United States, and the financial literacy and business factors that determine the tax distinctions of farmers. Patricia has presented her work at conferences such as Public Choice, the Southern Economic Association, and the upcoming Southern Agricultural Economic Association meeting.

Forthcoming Publications:

“Effectiveness of Personal Finance Standards: Insights from Tennessee’s Teachers”

Working Papers:

The Temporary Government Program

Assessing Tax Distinctions in Farming: A look into the drivers of LLCs

Economic Ripples: Analyzing the Long-term Impact of Tobacco Subsidy Termination on Production and Farming Continuity

Tuan Nguyen

Tuan Nguyen is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Middle Tennessee State University with a deep passion for exploring the intersection of economic theory and public policy. His research focuses on topics such as economic freedom, labor market dynamics, and applied econometrics, including ongoing work on the relationship between economic freedom and unemployment duration. With a strong background in applied microeconomics and labor economics, Tuan’s scholarship is enriched by a commitment to understanding how economic policies influence real-world outcomes. His teaching and research interests also encompass game theory, industrial organization, and monetary economics, reflecting a broad engagement with the complexities of economic systems.

Working Papers:

Economic Freedom and Unemployment Duration

Impact of the Business Cycle On Casino Revenues

Jacob Smith

Jacob Smith is a second-year Ph.D. student in Economics at MTSU. He earned a B.S. in Mathematical Economics and Philosophy from Hampden-Sydney College in May 2023, where he was a fellow at the Center for the Study of Political Economy. His research interests lie in political economy, with a focus on public choice, public interest regulation, and rent-seeking. His ongoing work investigates the economic and competitive impacts of the federal Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 on the early American whiskey market, exploring how businesses leverage public policy and public interest narratives for strategic advantage. Jacob has presented his research at conferences such as Public Choice, the Southern Economic Association, and the upcoming Economic and Business History Society Conference.

Working Papers:

Distillers and Chemists: Effects and Strategic use of the Bottled In Bond Act of 1897 by firms and regulators

Panic Before Protection: New Evidence on U.S. Pre-FDIC Bank Runs, 1889–1919

Mohammed Alaohaid

Mohammed Alaohaid is set to earn his Ph.D. in Economics from Middle Tennessee State University in August 2025. He received his M.A. in Legal Studies from Texas State University in 2015 and his B.A. in Economics from St. Edward’s University in 2014.

His research focuses on the regulatory effects of Certificate of Need laws on organ transplant services, utilizing advanced techniques in causal inference and machine learning. Mohammed recently completed Causal Inference workshops and actively applies these methodologies in his work. In addition to his research, he has been teaching Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics at Middle Tennessee State University.

Sean-Patrick Alvarez

Sean-Patrick Alvarez is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Jacksonville State University. He earned his BS in Economics from Troy University in 2019. He earned his Master’s in 2023 and his Ph.D. in Economics in 2024 from Middle Tennessee State University. His research interests include Economic History, Public Choice, and New Institutional Economics

Chris Barker

Chris Barker is a Ph.D. student in economics at MTSU. He is an assistant professor of finance at Harding University, teaching courses in macroeconomics and real estate. He holds a BBA in accounting from Harding University and an M.A. in history and MBA from MTSU. He served as an adjust instructor at MTSU in 2011, and previously worked in roles, including compliance director at the National Federation of Independent Business; a staff accountant with Kraft CPAs; and a cost accountant at Procter & Gamble. He obtained his CPA license, but is no longer practicing.

Antón Chamberlin 

Antón Chamberlin is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Economics at MTSU. He is the recipient of the PERI Ph.D. Fellowship. He received the 2023 Don Lavoie Fellowship with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Antón received his his B.A. in Economics at Loyola University New Orleans and a M.A. in Economics at Troy University. He currently works as a graduate research fellow at the Mises Institute.

Work in progress: “The Mexican Miracle: An Austrian Analysis.”

Publication: “The Fundamental Economic Problem with Biden’s Rescue Plan,” Mises Institute, May 2021

Shamsuddeen Nassarawa

Shamsuddeen Nassarawa is a Ph.D. candidate in economics at MTSU. He is a recipient of the PERI Ph.D. Summer Fellowship award as well as the full Ph.D. Fellowship. He was awarded the Spring 2023 Graduate Fellowship with the American Institute for Economic Research.

He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. After receiving his master’s degree in finance from MTSU, he most recently served as External Funds Manager at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Works in Progress: “The Impact of Investment Restrictions on Pension Participants: A Case Study of Nigeria.”

Email Shamsuddeen

Nicholas Reinarts

Nicholas Reinarts is an Assistant Professor of Economics with the Delaplaine School of Business at Hood College. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Middle Tennessee State University in 2024. Prior to this, he completed his M.A. in Economics at Troy University in 2019 and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Economics from Florida Southern College in 2017. His research interests include Political Economy, Labor Economics, and Institutional Economics, with a focus on how government policies influence socioeconomic outcomes for disabled individuals. His recent publication, “ADA to Ph.D.? The Americans with Disabilities Act and Post-Secondary Educational Attainment,” co-authored with Victor Melo, appeared in Public Choice.

Macy Scheck

Macy Scheck, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Finance in the College of Business at Lander University, starting in Fall 2024. He earned his B.S. in Economics from the University of Central Arkansas in 2020, his M.A. in Economics from Middle Tennessee State University in 2022, and his Ph.D. in Economics from Middle Tennessee State University in August 2024. Macy’s research interests include economic freedom, development, and public interest regulation. His recent publication, “Revisiting the Relationship Between Economic Freedom and Development to Account for Statistical Deception by Autocratic Regimes,” co-authored with Vincent Geloso and Sean-Patrick Alvarez, appeared in the European Journal of Political Economy in 2024. Macy has also contributed to several policy papers and presented his work at prominent conferences, including the Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting and The Association of Private Enterprise Education (APEE).

Gabriel Benzecry, Ph.D. (Summer 2023)

Gabriel Benzecry, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of economics and a Bretzlaff Scholar at Northwood University. He is a 2023 Ph.D. graduate in Economics at MTSU. He was the recipient of the PERI Ph.D. Fellowship. He recieved his B.A. in Economics at Wake Forest University. His current research project focuses on Brazil’s 1988 Constituent Assembly and the Methuen Treaty. Gabriel’s research focuses on Economic History and Public Choice Theory. He currently works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Jones College of Business, instructing Principles of Macroeconomics.

Caleb Watts

Caleb Watts was a recipient of the PERI Undergraduate Research Fellowship for the 2019-20 academic year. He is also a recipient of the PERI Ph.D. Summer Fellowship. He has worked as a risk analyst for corporate lender JB&B Capital. Caleb is also an Army ROTC cadet, who commissioned in May 2022 as an Adjutant General Officer. For more information of Caleb’s projects please see his website below.

Emilia Suggs, Ph.D. (Spring 2021)

Emilia Suggs, Ph.D., is currently the Manager of Grants and Financial Analyst at the Tennessee Department of Education. Prior to her current role, she was an assistant professor in the School of Business, Technology, and Economics at King University, starting in Fall 2021. She received her B.S. (2017), M.A. (2019), and Ph.D. (2021) in economics from Middle Tennessee State University. Emilia’s research interests include political competition, voting system design, and epistemological influences on economic thought. Her job market paper, “Identifying Voter Preferences through Two-Stage Multivoting Elections: Experiments in the Preface of the 2020 Democratic Primaries,” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (2021).

Inhwa Kim, Ph.D. (Fall 2021)

Inhwa Kim, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of economics at Harris–Stowe State University (2022). She was previously a visiting assistant professor at Sam Houston State University. She was the previous recipient of the PERI Dissertation Fellowship in 2021 and received her Ph.D. in Economics in Fall 2021, a M.A. in Economics in 2018, and a M.S. in Professional-Biostatistics in 2015 from MTSU. She also earned her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics while studying at Pukyong National University in South Korea. Inhwa’s research interests include Applied Microeconomics, Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Finance, and International Trade.

Protik Nandy, Ph.D. (Summer 2022)

Protik Nandy, Ph.D., is a visiting assistant professor of economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is the recipient of the PERI Dissertation Fellowship. He served as an adjuct faculty member at Cumberland University. Protik’s research interest includes public choice, political economy, institutional problems and voting behavior.

Rania Al-Bawwab, Ph.D. (Fall 2022)

Rania Al-Bawwab, Ph.D., is a visiting assistant professor of economics at University of Central Arkansas. She is a 2022 graduate of MTSU’s Ph.D. economics program. Rania earned her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture at University of Jordan and her M.Sc. in Agriculture at Jordan University of science and Technology. She received her M.B.A. and M.A. in economics at Troy University. Rania’s research interests include public choice, Austrian economics, political economy, Islamic finance, and Islamic economics. Rania’s native language is Arabic, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and writing. She has published a collection of short stories in Arabic titled The Promise.

Labanyalata Roy

Labanyalata Roy is a lecturer at Kennesaw State University and a Ph.D. candidate in economics at MTSU. She was the previous recipient of the PERI Dissertation Fellowship in 2021. Her research interests include Applied Microeconomics, Political Economy, Economic History and Behavioral Economics. She earned her M.Phil. in Economics in 2014 and her M.A. in Economics in 2011 from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Zeynep Beyhan, Ph.D. – 2019-20 Visiting PERI Ph.D. Fellow

Zeynep Beyhan was the 2019-20 Visiting Ph.D. Fellow in the Political Economy Research Institute at MTSU. She is an Agricultural and Food Economics Researcher at Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna. She recieved her Ph.D. in economics in 2021 at University of Macerata (Italy). She earned her bachelor’s degree and her M.A in economics at University of Uludağ (Turkey). Zeynep also did internships at Central Bank of Turkey, The Ministery Economy of Turkey, The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, and the Office of the Commercial Counsellor in Italy. Zeynep’s main research interests include Sustainable Development, Regional Political Risk and International Political Economy. In addition to her native Turkish, she speaks English and Italian.