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)

Causal Inference “Correlation is not causation” is a frequent refrain from people investigating relationships in data.  But what does this mean?  In this course we will focus on empirical tools that economists use to identify causal relationships.  Students will explore the concept of causality and estimation of counterfactuals using randomized and natural experiments to study economic and social phenomena. Students will learn to apply the main research designs used by economists including randomized control trials (RCTs), difference-in-differences estimation, event studies, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity.  The ethics of conducting empirical research will also be emphasized throughout the course. (ECON 0211)

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

Erick Gong

Reviews and ratings for Erick Gong at Middlebury College.Erick Gong teaches Economic Statistics, Causal Inference, Senior Research Workshop II and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Erick Gong good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

E. Gong is a great instructor, good at deliberating the conceptual knowledge, and the class structure is assigned well. The weekly homework is not counted and the quiz is a good preparation for revision. 

This course is very difficult. I usually have an easy time in economics courses and was very challenged by this course. The exams are very difficult and require hours of extensive studying to achieve a subpar grade. Definitely the most difficult class I took at Middlebury. Despite this, I learned a ton and would recommend it to those who want to be challenged and learn. 

I really liked having Professor Gong for Econ Stats. He was a tough grader, but he was fair and at the end of the semester I realized I actually had learned so much from him and I value him a lot as a professor. The class is very straight forward with weekly problem sets, a couple of exams, and then a final paper written with a partner. His office hours were key. 