Erin Wolcott
Office
Warner 109
Tel
(802) 443-5581
Email
wolcott@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
Mondays 2:00 - 3:30PM and Fridays 8:30 -10:00AM

Erin Wolcott joined the Middlebury Department of Economics as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 2017.  Her research is in macroeconomics, labor economics, and international finance.  She teaches courses on macroeconomics, globalization, and inequality.

Professor Wolcott received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego and B.A. in Economics from Cornell University.  She was a dissertation fellow at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington DC and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Introductory Macroeconomics
An introduction to macroeconomics: a consideration of macroeconomic problems such as unemployment and inflation. Theories and policy proposals of Keynesian and classical economists are contrasted. Topics considered include: banking, financial institutions, monetary policy, taxation, government spending, fiscal policy, tradeoffs between inflation and unemployment in both the short run and the long run, and wage-price spirals. 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025

Requirements

SOC

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Course Description

Federal Reserve Challenge
In this course we will study the tools of monetary policy to achieve the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices. We will use macroeconomic theory, data, and cutting-edge research to analyze current economic conditions. The class will formulate a monetary policy recommendation for the U.S. central bank, emulating the Federal Open Market Committee, and five members of the class will present this recommendation in the annual Fed Challenge Competition at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. For a final project, each student will design their own mock monetary policy briefing and present it to the class. 3 hrs. lect. (ECON 0111 [formerly ECON 0210] and ECON 0250)

Terms Taught

Fall 2022, Fall 2023

Requirements

AMR, DED

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Course Description

Globalization and US Inequality
Does globalization increase inequality in the United States? In this course we will study how trade, automation, immigration, and financial integration relate to the distribution of income, wealth, and employment in the US over the last century. In the first part of the course we will study theoretical frameworks to shed light on this question. In the second part, we will turn to the data and read peer-reviewed articles, discussing evidence for and against globalization increasing US inequality. Lastly, we will debate policy prescriptions, to address these issues. (ECON 0211 and ECON 0240 or ECON 0250) 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Spring 2025

Requirements

AMR, NOR

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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

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

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

Winter 2024, Winter 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

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

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