Haslam College of Business - Economics Ph.D. Students

Gabriel Appau Abeyie

Email: gabeyie@vols.utk.edu

Fifth year
A210 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: macroeconomics, time-series forecasting, machine learning, international finance


Gabriel Appau Abeyie is a Ph.D. candidate in economics who specializes in using text data to forecast and analyze macroeconomic variables through advanced machine learning and natural language processing techniques. He also explores various macroeconomic methods for policy analysis and forecasting purposes. Beyond his research endeavors, Gabriel has taught courses in statistics, macroeconomics and applied econometrics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and statistics from the University of Ghana and a master’s degree in economics and decision science from the University of North Texas. In his free time, Gabriel enjoys watching sports, specifically soccer and basketball. He also enjoys playing ping-pong and cherishing moments with family and friends.

Personal Website

Mahdi Balotf

Email: mbalotf@vols.utk.edu

First year
A206 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: labor economics, behavioral economics, machine learning  

Mahdi Balotf holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Razi University in Kermanshah and a master’s degree in theoretical economics from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran. His research interests lie in labor economics, behavioral economics, and the application of machine learning in economic analysis. Prior to starting his Ph.D., Mahdi worked on a project involving text mining and data analysis, specifically in relation to financial markets. Outside of academics, he enjoys reading, cycling, and engaging in outdoor activities.

Halima Begum

Email: hbegum1@vols.utk.edu

Fourth year
A201 Cherokee Mills

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.

Maria Fernanda Carriedo

Email: mcarried@vols.utk.edu

Second year
A211 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: behavioral economics, political economics

Fernanda Carriedo 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. 

Beyond academia, Fernanda finds comfort in the company of her beloved pet bunny, Buggsy. She also enjoys an active lifestyle, with a passion for running, hiking in the Smoky Mountains and exploring Knoxville.

Joao Pedro Cavalcanti

Email: jcavalca@vols.utk.edu

Second year
A211 Cherokee Mills

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.

Debanjali Dasgupta

Email: ddasgup2@vols.utk.edu

Fourth year
A203B Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: health economics, environmental economics, labor economics

Debanjali Dasgupta completed her undergraduate coursework in economics from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, India, and her master’s in economics from TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, India. Prior to starting her Ph.D. in economics, she worked as a research assistant at TERI School of Advanced Studies and at Ipsos, a multinational market research organization for various health policy projects that focus on barriers to accessing healthcare services in India. Her current research interests focus on maternal and child health. Outside academics, she is interested in art and music.

Trinity Douglass

Email: tdougl18@vols.utk.edu

Fourth year
209 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: labor economics, discrimination



Trinity’s Douglass received a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Tennessee. She enjoys hiking, trail running and mountain biking.

Linnea Endersby

Graduate Research Assistant

Email: lendersb@vols.utk.edu

Fourth year
A149 BCBER, Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: education economics, health economics

Linnea Endersby graduated from Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Kaden Grace

Email: kgrace7@vols.utk.edu

Third year
205 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: intersection of addiction, health and economic policy

Kaden Grace is an economics Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His work is deeply rooted in a desire to make a difference for those less fortunate. Outside of his academic pursuits, Kaden excels as a scuba instructor, sharing his love for the underwater world. Kaden also enjoys poker and fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains. He holds degrees in mathematics and economics from Ole Miss.

Lucas Chaves Gurgel

Graduate Research Assistant

Email: lchavesg@vols.utk.edu

Third year
A152 BCBER, Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: health economics, family economics

Lucas Chaves Gurgel is from Brazil. He graduated in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Ceara. After working in the field for a while, he obtained a master’s degree in economics at the same university. He is married and is the proud father of one boy and three girls. Outside of school, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading and surfing.

Bowen Jiang

Email: bjiang12@vols.utk.edu

Second year
A212 Cherokee Mills

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

Email: xjin11@vols.utk.edu

Fourth year
209 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: environmental economics, education economics, labor economics



Xin Jin earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Zhengzhou University in China and pursued an M.S. in mathematics at the University of West Florida. Her current research focuses on the link between air pollution and students’ education outcomes. Outside the academic realm, Xin finds joy in hiking and playing tennis. She has a genuine love for nature and believes in the relaxing power of spending time outdoors.

Pengzhen Li

Email: pli26@vols.utk.edu

Second year
A212 Cherokee Mills

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

Email: rliu35@vols.utk.edu

First year
A203C Cherokee Mills

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.

Trenton Marable

Email: tmarable@vols.utk.edu

Third year
A203B Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: environmental economics, resource economics

Trenton Marable graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, minoring in economics and mathematics. His research interests align closely with his personal interests – cycling, hiking and camping. Trenton completed the entire Continental Divide Trail on a bicycle.

Tommy Morgan

Email: tmorga39@vols.utk.edu

First year
A206 Cherokee Mills

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

Email: cneff6@vols.utk.edu

Third year
205 Cherokee Mills

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

Email: eobijole@vols.utk.edu

First 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.

Deng Pan

Email: dpan4@vols.utk.edu

Third year
205 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: international trade, applied microeconomics

Deng Pan is from Fujian, China. He completed his undergraduate degree in economics at Fengchia University in Taiwan. Subsequently, he earned a master’s degree in finance at American University in Washington, D.C. After completing his master’s, he interned with Heyu Real Estate Company in Fujian.

Prabuddha Prakash

Email: pprakas1A@vols.utk.edu

Fifth year
A202 Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: Public economics, international trade, environmental economics



Prabuddha Prakash graduated with a master’s degree in economics from Delhi School of Economics, India. He has a penchant for applied microeconomics, and his goal is to provide empirical evidence to policymakers.

Amrit Shrestha

Email: ashrest3@vols.utk.edu

Second year
A212 Cherokee Mills

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.

Alannah Shute

Graduate Research Assistant

Email: ashute@vols.utk.edu

Fifth year
A149 BCBER, Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: applied microeconomics, state/local public finance

Alannah Shute is an applied microeconomist focused on policy-relevant issues in public finance. Her research focuses on improving the equity and efficiency of state and local taxes, and her dissertation addresses various topics in this area, including the effect of an information nudge on homestead exemption take-up rates and the impact of improved destination-based taxation on cross-border shopping. Shute’s job market paper analyzes the effect of a major hurricane on residential property taxes in New York City. In addition to her academic research experience, Shute has worked as a research assistant at a think tank and a nonprofit consulting firm and has taught introductory economics courses.

Personal website: https://www.alannahshute.com/

Vincent Speckner

Email: vspeckne@vols.utk.edu

First year
A203C Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: Applied econometrics, environmental economics, business organization

Vincent Speckner is a PhD student who is a Knoxville local, having completed his undergraduate BA in economics at UT. An interest in stock markets and cryptocurrency kindled his passion for the field of economics and inspired him to switch away from a chemistry major. During the completion of his undergraduate degree and for about a year afterward, he worked as Vice President at a local chemical manufacturing business, and this experience helped inform his current fields of interest. Outside of academics, Vincent loves science fiction books and films.

Benjamin Sprayberry

Email: bspraybe@vols.utk.edu

Second year
A211 Cherokee Mills

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.

Thomas Verville

Graduate Research Assistant

Email: tvervill@vols.utk.edu

Fourth year
A153 BCBER, Cherokee Mills

Fields of Interest: tax policy impact, fair division mechanisms, game theory

Thomas Verville is a Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee. His academic journey began at Kalamazoo College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. After working for a few years, he completed his master’s degree in applied economics at Western Michigan University.

In his free time, Thomas enjoys golfing and playing guitar. Most of his time is spent either playing fetch with his dog or pampering his two cats.

Fuqiang Wang

Email: fwang30@vols.utk.edu

First year
A203C Cherokee Mills

Fuqiang Wang holds dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and economics from Boston University. He also earned a Master of Arts in applied economics and a Master of Science in applied statistics from the University of Michigan. After spending a year at the Economic Growth Institute at the University of Michigan, he joined the Haslam Economics Ph.D program to further his studies.