E-mail: epema@nps.edu
Phone: 831.236.5134
Hello and thank you for stopping by!
I am an Associate Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School. I received my PhD from Michigan State University in 2003 and my BA from the American University in Bulgaria in 1998.
In the Research link to your left you can find all the topics that keep me excited about academic research. I love to investigate how large organizations structure their compensation packages to induce optimal incentives for performance. In this context, it is interesting to investigate how females often are on different performance-promotion paths than males, and subject to what we call "sticky floors" instead of the the well-documented "glass-ceiling" phenomenon.
I have also spent the better part of my career evaluating programs that are aimed at at-risk youth, or non-college bound high schoolers. Vocational programs, such as the JROTC, seem to help foster stable job matches for this population. General education programs that help this group gain more postsecondary education while working, seem to also contribute to more stable careers with the sponsoring company. This is contrary to what the human capital theory would predict for employer-sponsored general education. The gains are substantially higher for females, suggesting policy interventions for closing the gender pay gap.
I love teaching economics, econometrics, and labor classes, where in addition to econ fun, I also talk to students about the value of mind training and self care as a vehicle of success in their degrees.
In my spare time, I love to practice martial arts, volunteer at my children's school, and learn everything about energy healing.
Drop me a line! I love to engage in discussions about econ research or other interesting topics.