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AEDE

Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics

CFAES

Amanda Weinstein – AEDE Job Market Candidate

Amanda Weinstein has always loved math. It was this love of math that brought her to the study of economics, where she could use math in an applied way to solve problems in communities. Weinstein, who was raised in southern California and Colorado, focuses on the study of urban and regional economics in her PhD studies at the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE) at Ohio State. While at AEDE she has explored a wide range of topics in this field, from energy policy and the impact on jobs, to income inequality, to the role of women entrepreneurs in regional economic development.

Weinstein currently works as a Graduate Research Associate for the C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy, which is overseen by her academic advisor, Dr. Mark Partridge. The C. William Swank Program organizes and conducts research that focuses on the intersection of rural and urban policy. The Program undertakes analysis of policy options in the field and strives to improve communication amongst parties involved in the rural-urban discussion, including providing accurate and timely information to policymakers and citizens.

Prior to joining Ohio State, Weinstein served her nation as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. Immediately after graduation from the US Air Force Academy, she was awarded a coveted spot at the Air Force Institute of Technology where she received an MS in Operations Research. As a Scientific Analyst in the Air Force, and then as a Senior Management Analyst for BearingPoint, she advised all levels of Air Force leadership up to and including the Secretary of the Air Force on various acquisition and logistical issues at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH.

Through her collaboration with Dr. Partridge and her involvement in the C. William Swank Program, Weinstein has contributed significantly to many urban economic issues being debated on the Ohio and U.S. stages. Her policy research related to shale development has attracted media attention, including a story in the Columbus Dispatch and an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. She has made radio appearances on America’s Workforce Radio and WOSU NPR News, and has had numerous speaking engagements discussing energy policy impacts in Ohio and around the U.S. Her work on the shale development impacts in Pennsylvania and Ohio is currently being extended as part of her dissertation to enable her to perform a more rigorous national analysis of the economic impact of shale development.

Weinstein notes that she has greatly enjoyed her time in the AEDE PhD program of study as she’s been able to focus on applied microeconomics research, providing policymakers and other stakeholders with information that can help them to make informed decisions to benefit the majority of their constituents. She notes that in particular, during her time at AEDE, in all of her classes she has been able to see the direct link between theory and real world application, which she has greatly enjoyed and which she notes, sets the program of study apart from others.