Economics
Doctoral Students
Ebenezer Acquah
Office: Room F164, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Second Year
Ebenezer Acquah is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, as well as a UT M.S. in mathematics student. Acquah’s research bridges mathematics and economics, employing computational and analytical tools to study complex economic systems, evaluate policy interventions and uncover patterns in dynamics systems.
Akinyemi Christopher Afolabi
Office: Room F164, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
First year
Dareem Kyle Antoine
Office: Room F148, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
First year
Fields of Interest: Economics of Education, Labor Economics
Dareem K. Antoine is an Economics Ph.D. candidate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He holds a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas and Dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics from Midwestern State University. His research primarily examines the impact of education policy on educational opportunity and student achievement and economic mobility.
As a researcher, Dareem has collaborated with education stakeholders at various levels – including leaders in the classroom, school districts, and non-profits – to investigate policy relevant questions. His research has been disseminated via outlets such as EdWeek and the Fordham Institute.
Outside of his academic pursuits, Dareem enjoys exploring the world through food, music, and culture.
Halima Begum
Office: Room F166, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fifth year
Fields of Interest: economic forecasting, international trade
Halima Begum worked as a central banker, and her experience in banking motivated her to pursue a Ph.D. in economics. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics, as well as an MBA in finance.
Fernanda Carriedo-Fagan
Office: Room F152, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fourth year
Fields of Interest: behavioral economics, political economics
Fernanda Carriedo-Fagan is a Ph.D. student in economics at the University of Tennessee, driven by her deep passion for the subject. Her academic journey started at Salisbury University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in economics, accompanied by a minor in mathematics. Fernanda’s love for economics was ignited during her first undergraduate class in microeconomics, leaving a mark on her academic path. She aspires to conduct meaningful research that can positively impact her community and her homeland, Mexico.
Joao Pedro Cavalcanti
Office: Room F147, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fourth year
Fields of Interest: firm dynamics, growth and development
João Cavalcanti earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the Federal University of Pernambuco. After that, he worked as a research assistant at the Brazilian National Institute of Applied Economic Research. He loves everything related to sports. He also loves to hang out with friends and family.
Xiaodan Fang
Office: Room F163
Email: [email protected]
First year
Fields of Interests: applied microeconomics, econometrics
In his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, and playing basketball.
Xiaodan Fang holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Prior to joining the doctoral program at the University of Tennessee, he worked as a Social Science and Humanities Research Assistant, where his work centered on empirical economic research, econometric modeling, and the management of complex microdata.
Kaden Grace
Office: Room F167, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fifth year
Fields of Interest: Public Finance, Health Economics, Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Kaden Grace is an Economics PhD candidate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research uses tools from applied microeconomics, causal inference, and experiments to answer questions about public finance and health economics. Kaden earned a BS in Economics and a BA in Mathematics from the University of Mississippi and an MA in Economics from the University of Tennessee. Kaden serves as the Student Representative on the Campus Advisory Board at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Since 2023, he has served as Chairperson of the Haslam Doctoral Student Association. Outside the office, Kaden spends a lot of time underwater as a scuba instructor. Kaden will graduate in May 2027.
Ahona Halder
Office: Room F162, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Second year
Fields of interest: international trade, development economics, labor economics
Ahona Halder is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Halder previously worked as a research assistant at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta.
Jacob Hofman
Office: Room F163, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
First year
Fields of Interests: Public Economics
Jacob Hofman earned his bachelor’s in political science and economics from Kansas State University in 2025, as well as a master’s in public administration in 2026. His belief in public service drives his economic research and his goal of becoming a policy analysist. Beyond economics, he spends his spare time with board games and hiking.
Bowen Jiang
Office: Room F154, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fourth year
Fields of Interest: theoretical microeconomics
Bowen Jiang is a first-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics at the University of Tennessee. He graduated from Liaoning University, China, with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics. He also earned a master’s degree in agriculture economics from the University of Tennessee. Before joining the program, his research area focused on the effects of trade policy on international trade. In his free time, he likes to go to the gym and skateboard.
Xin Jin
Office: Room F164, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fifth year
Fields of Interests: environmental economics, education economics and labor economics
Xin Jin is an applied microeconomist. Her research lies at the intersection of education, environment and labor economics. Jin’s current work focuses on how environmental shocks and education policies shape students’ academic and social outcomes.
Sehoon Kim
Office: Room F163, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
First year
Sehoon Kim received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Yonsei University and his master’s degree in economics from Sogang University. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he worked at a government research institute in South Korea. In his free time, Sehoon enjoys playing baseball and golf. He also loves spending time with his dog.
Pengzhen Li
Office: Room F154, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fourth year
Fields of Interest: international trade, environmental economics
Pengzhen Li holds a master’s degree in finance from Shandong University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tongji University. At Shandong, his research was related to the impact of green technology innovations on CO2 emissions. After his master’s, he served as a graduate research assistant at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) for two years. During that time, his research centered on designing the supply chains for sustainable aviation fuels from forest residues in the southeastern United States using mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) models. In his spare time, he enjoys playing ping-pong and badminton.
Ruining Liu
Office: Room F168, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Third year
Fields of Interest: Applied Econometrics, Machine Learning
Ruining Liu graduated from Dongbei University of Finance and Economics with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and minor in Finance. Before pursuing her master’s degree in business Analytics at Washington University in St. Louis, she developed a strong foundation in data analysis and research methods. Her current interests focus on applying econometric techniques and machine learning to address economic challenges.
Tommy Morgan
Office: Room F168, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Third year
Fields of Interest: applied econometrics, economic history, health economics
Tommy Morgan graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a minor in mathematics. Prior to studying at the University of Tennessee, he worked in the Record Linking Lab at BYU, using large-scale Census microdata to research questions about health, demography, and government spending. His personal interests include watching sports with his wife and playing competitive Pokémon.
Connor Neff
Office: Room F167, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fifth year
Fields of Interest: industrial organization, energy economics, environmental economics
Prior to studying at the University of Tennessee, Connor Neff earned a B.A. in economics and statistics from the University of Florida. He also has professional experience in data analyst roles in the insurance, finance and consumer packaged goods industries.
Outside of economics, Connor enjoys spending time outside. He’s a passionate rock climber who has spent time guiding in the Southeast and climbing around the world. He also enjoys live music, great food and traveling.
Emmanuel Obijole
Office: Room F147, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Third year
A206 Cherokee Mills
Fields of interest: Macroeconomics, Applied Econometrics, and Development Economics
Emmanuel Obijole is a PhD student with research interests in development, macroeconomic stability, and evidence-based policies. Before beginning doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Emmanuel graduated from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria studying economics at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. He enjoys time with family and friends and loves music, movies, and soccer.
Amrit Shrestha
Office: Room F153, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fourth year
Fields of Interest: applied microeconomics, econometrics
Amrit Shrestha has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Agriculture and Forestry University and a master’s in agricultural and resource economics from Herbert College of Agriculture, University of Tennessee. Other than studying he likes to go hiking and playing soccer.
Benjamin Sprayberry
Office: Room F153, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
Fourth year
Fields of Interest: industrial organization, behavioral economics, public finance
Benjamin Sprayberry is from the Chattanooga area. He discovered his predisposition toward economics during the National Academic Decathlon in high school and earned a gold medal in economics. He later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mercer University in Macon, GA, where he also minored in finance and took a paid internship in purchasing with the Blue Bird Corporation. He enjoys strategic games of all kinds (particularly those he can play with others), hiking and spending time with close friends and family.
Kaley Ware
Office: Room F161, Cherokee Mills, Suite 108
Email: [email protected]
First year
Kaley Ware is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in business administration, as well as a master’s degree in economics from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. In her free time, Kaley enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading.
If you have questions about our graduate program or our current job market candidates, contact us.
Graduate Director:
Georg Schaur
865-974-1710
[email protected]
Graduate Program Assistant:
Sherri Pinkston
865-974-1687
[email protected]