Erick Gong
Office
Warner 314
Tel
(802) 443-5553
Email
egong@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
Monday: 2:30-3:30 | Tuesday (3:15-4:15) | Wed (2:30-3:30)

Erick Gong joined the Economics faculty as an assistant professor in the fall of 2011.  His primary research interest is international development, with a focus on health and education in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Erick received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley where his primary advisors were Ted Miguel and Betty Sadoulet.  His dissertation focused on using economics tools to better understand the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Economic Statistics (formerly ECON 0210)
An introduction to the discipline of statistics as a science of understanding and analyzing
data with an emphasis on applications to economics. Key topics include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, sampling, random variables, the Central Limit Theorem, estimation, hypothesis testing, p-values, and linear regression. Students will be introduced to a statistical programming language. A weekly one-hour lab is part of this course in addition to three hours of class meetings per week. (Formerly ECON 0210) (Not open to students who have taken ECON 0210, MATH 0116, MATH 0310, or PSYC 0201.) 3 hrs. lect., 1 hr. lab

Terms Taught

Spring 2024

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Economic Statistics
Basic methods and concepts of statistical inference with an emphasis on economic applications. Topics include probability distributions, random variables, simple linear regression, estimation, hypothesis testing, and contingency table analysis. A weekly one-hour lab is part of this course in addition to three hours of class meetings per week. Credit is not given for ECON 0210 if the student has taken MATH 0116, or MATH 0310, or PSYC 0201 previously or concurrently. (ECON 0150 or ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lect., 1 hr. lab

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Spring 2021

Requirements

DED

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Course Description

Empirical Research Methods in Economics
In this course we will provide students with the tools to conceptualize, design, and carry out a research project in economics. Topics will include survey design, sampling and power, experimental design (in and out of the lab), natural experiments, and other approaches to identifying causal relationships. Drawing from several sub-disciplines in economics, students will examine, replicate, and critique various studies. Emphasis will be placed on the formulation of valid, feasible research questions, and on the description and interpretation of results. (ECON 0211) 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Fall 2021

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Course Description

Economics of Religion
Economics and religion have played fundamental roles in human civilization. In this course we will use economic methods (statistical analysis and microeconomic theory) to examine the role that religion plays in economic activity. Topics explored will include the markets for religion, the effects that religion has on economic outcomes and welfare, and the political economy of religion. We will investigate studies and use data from both historical and contemporary time periods. While Christianity will be a prominent religion in the course due to the literature and data that are available, the economic methods used in this course will be applied to other religions. (ECON 0150 and ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lct

Terms Taught

Fall 2021

Requirements

SOC

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Course Description

Individual Special Project
If you choose to pursue an area that we do not offer or go in depth in an area already covered, we recommend the Individual Special Project option. These ECON 0500 proposals MUST be passed by the entire department and are to be submitted to the chair by the first Friday of fall and spring semester, respectively. The proposals should contain a specific description of the course contents, its goals, and the mechanisms by which goals are to be realized. It should also include a bibliography. According to the College Handbook, ECON 0500 projects are a privilege open to those students with advanced preparation and superior records in their fields. A student needs to have a 3.5 or higher G.P.A. in Economics courses taken at Middlebury in order to pursue an Individual Special Project. ECON 0500 does not count towards the major or minor requirements.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Research Workshop I
In this first semester, students will design and begin their projects. Emphasis will be on designing a novel research question (while making the case for its importance) and an appropriate strategy for answering it. This requires immersion in the academic literature on the topic. General research principles and tools will be taught in class, as a group, while those specific to individual projects will be covered in one-on-one meetings. By the end of the term, students will outline their plan for completing the project, including demonstrating that it is a feasible research question for which the necessary information (e.g., data or source materials) is available or can be generated by the student (e.g., lab or other experiment). (Approval required)

Terms Taught

Winter 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

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Course Description

Senior Research Workshop II
In this second semester of the senior research workshop sequence, the focus is on the execution of the research plan developed in ECON 0701. Most instruction is now one-on-one but the workshop will still meet as a group to discuss and practice the presentation of results in various formats (seminars, poster sessions, et cetera) to the rest of the workshop and others in the college and broader communities. Feedback and critiques from such presentations will be incorporated into the project, which will culminate in a research paper in the style of an economics journal article. (ECON 0701; Approval required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2022, Winter 2024, Winter 2025

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Course Description

Independent Project
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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