By Addie Nabholz ’25

Wartburg College students Layne Fober, Srujana Dandem and Garrett Helm presented their research at the Missouri Valley Economic Association Conference in Kansas City in late October.

Fober presented his research, “Renewable Energy: Is it More than a Climate Solution?,” which began as a RICE Day project in September 2023. RICE Day, also known as Research, Internship, and Creative Endeavor Day, showcases students’ academic and co-curricular pursuits across disciplines.

“I was able to choose a topic that merged both of my majors, economics and environmental science, which made the research interesting,” said Fober. “After RICE Day, Dr. (Nana) Quaicoe extended an invitation to present at the MVEA Conference.”

Fober enjoyed the experience.

“Presenting my research went smoothly, and I felt confident on the work I had done. I received constructive feedback from audience members on how I could take my research even further,” Fober said. “Overall, I had a good experience conducting research with the help of Dr. Quaicoe, and I am thankful he offered me an invitation to present it at an academic conference.”

Dandem’s research also focused on an issue pertaining to sustainability, “On the Road to Cleaner Air: Examining the Impact of Bus Ridership on Urban Air Quality in the U.S.”

Helm’s research, “How Do COVID-19 Mortality Rates in the United States Impact Adjusted Closing Prices of Stock Market Indexes?,” began last school year as a part of his senior thesis in economics.

“The entire research process was a lot of fun, and Dr. Quaicoe was always there every step of the way to answer any questions that arose,” said Helm. “The trip was amazing. I got to listen to other students present their research, and it was cool to see what other people have been working on. I got to talk to a lot of other students after I gave my presentation, and there was a lot of opportunities to network at the conference.”

Helm and Quaicoe plan on continuing their research this year.

The 61^st Annual Missouri Valley Economic Association Conference is presented by the Missouri Valley Economic Association, which was founded to facilitate communication amongst economic scholars, encourage the theoretical and applied aspects of economics and to distribute this knowledge and research.