RESEARCH INTERESTS
Compensation policies in large firms, gender differences in pay and promotion, evaluation of education and training programs, attrition and reenlistment in the military labor market, economics of education, labor economics.
POSITIONS
Associate Professor of Economics (2011- present)
Graduate School of Business & Public Policy, Naval Postgraduate School
Chair, Manpower Systems Analysis (2013 – 2016)
Graduate School of Business & Public Policy, Naval Postgraduate School
Assistant Professor of Economics (2003 – 2011)
Graduate School of Business & Public Policy, Naval Postgraduate School
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Economics, 2003, Michigan State University.
Fields: Applied Econometrics, Labor Economics, Public Economics.
Dissertation: “Essays on Compensation Structures and Human Capital Migration.” Advisors: Drs. David Neumark, Jeffrey Wooldridge, Charles
Ballard, and Jeff Biddle.
M.A. in Economics, 2001, Michigan State University.
B.A. in Applied Economics and Business Administration, 1998, American University in Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.
ACADEMIC JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
- Bacolod, M., Mehay, S., and Pema, E., and (2018). “Who Succeeds in Distance Learning? Evidence from Quantile Panel Data Estimation.” Southern Economics Journal, 84(4), 1129-1145.
- Pema, E., Mehay, S., and Tick, S. (2016). “Noncognitive Skills and Job Match: Evidence from Military Applicants.” Defence and Peace Economics, 28(5), 511-533.
- Pema, E. & Mehay, S. (2012). “Career Effects of Occupation-Related Vocational Education: Evidence from the Military Labor Market.” Economics of Education Review, 31(5) 680-693.
- Pema, E. & Mehay, S. (2010). “The Role of Job Assignment and Human Capital Endowments in Explaining Gender Differences in Job Performance and Promotion,” Labour Economics, 17(6), 998-1009.
- Pema, E. (2010). “The Effect of Age Discrimination Laws on Age-Earnings Profiles of Postsecondary Faculty” Atlantic Economic Journal, 38(1), 65-80.
- Pema, E. & Mehay, S. (2010). “The Impact of the High School Junior ROTC program: Does Treatment Timing and Intensity Matter?” (2010) Defense and Peace Economics, 21(3), 229-247.
- Pema, E. (2010). “Trends in the Albanian Labor Market: Who Are Albania's Unemployed?” Transition Studies Review, 16(4), 860-871.
- Pema, E. & Mehay, S. (2009). “The Effect of High School JROTC on Student Achievement, Educational Attainment, and Enlistment.” Southern Economic Journal, 76(2), 533–552.
- Baser, O. & Pema, E. (2004). "Publications over the Academic Life-cycle: Evidence for Academic Economists," Economics Bulletin, 1(1), 1-8.
- Baser, O. & Pema, E. (2003). “The Return to Publications for Economics Faculty in the Big Ten Universities,” Economics Bulletin, 1(1), 1-13.
RESEARCH PAPERS UNDER REVIEW
- “Academia as an Internal Labor Market: Going beyond the Human Capital Framework,” revise and resubmit at the Journal of Human Capital.
- “Does Sponsoring General Education Reduce Employee Turnover? New Evidence from Military Tuition Assistance Programs.” revise and resubmit at Industrial Relations, with Steve Mehay.
- “The Impact of State Fiscal Policies on the Migration Decision: A Relative Comparison of Interstate Mobility across Education Groups,” under review at the International Tax and Public Finance.
TECHNICAL REPORTS
- Pema, E. Tick, S., and Whamond, J. (2016). Evaluation of the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System (TAPAS) Using Data on Navy Recruits – Predicting Boot Camp and A-School Graduation Rates.
- Tick, S., Nissen, M., and Pema, E. (2016). Retention of High Quality Officers: An Assessment of Importance of STEM Degrees.
- Tick, S., Pema, E., Mehay, S. and Salas, M. (2015). An Analysis of the Career Progression of Hispanic Military Officers. (NPS‑GSBPP‑15‑003).
- Pema, E. and Tick, S. (2014). A Review of Literature on Non-Cognitive Testing and Its Potential Use to Improve Navy Recruiting Outcomes.
- Pema, E., Mehay, S., Tick, S., Fahrman, J. and Turpin, A. (2013). Evaluation of the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System (TAPAS) Using Data on Navy Recruits.
- Mehay, S., Pema, E., and McLaughlin, J. (2010). Analysis of the Tuition Assistance Program: Does the Method of Instruction Matter in TA Classes? (NPS-GSBPP-10-012).
- Mehay, S. and Pema. E. (2009). The impact of the Navy's Tuition Assistance Program on the Retention and Promotion of First-Term Sailors. (NPS-GSBPP-09-026).
- Mehay, S. and Pema, E (2008). Does Sponsoring General Education Reduce Employee Turnover? New Evidence from Military Tuition Assistance Programs. NPS-HR-08-111.
- Pema, E. and Mehay, S. (2005). Impact of High School JROTC on Student Academic Achievement, Post-Secondary Education, and Military Enlistment. Report for the Chief of Naval Personnel.
WORKING PAPERS
- “Females in the Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC): The Effect of Program Participation on School Performance and Navy Careers,” with Steve Mehay.
- “Why Do Institutions of Higher Education Reward Faculty for Research While Selling Education?” (2009), NBER working paper 14974, with Dahlia Remler.
- The Effect of JROTC on Student Non-Cognitive Skills,” with Steve Mehay.
- “Do Immigrants Have a Higher Propensity to Use Welfare Than Natives?” with Linda Bailey.
Research in progress
“The Effect of Moral Waivers on US Army Attrition.”
“Careers of Hispanic Enlistees in the US Military.” with Steve Mehay.
“Long-Term Labor Market Effects of ‘Tied Movers’ – Evidence from Veteran Spouses,” with Steve Mehay.
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
- Naval Research Program, 2013-2017. Utilizing Non-Cognitive Measures for Navy Selection, Classification and Duty Assignment.
- Naval Research Program, 2013-2015. Who Uses TA: Variations in TA Use Due to Demographic Characteristics and Job Requirements.
- Navy Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education Research Program, 2010-2013. Evaluating the Predictive Power of the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System for Navy Classification and Selection.
- Navy Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education Research Program, 2009-2010. Analysis of the impact of Distance Learning versus instructor-led methods on sailors’ course completion and career performance (with Steve Mehay).
- Navy Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education Research Program, 2008-2009. Evaluating the effect of Navy’s Tuition Assistance program on early attrition, reenlistment, and promotions (with Steve Mehay).
- International Military Education and Training (IMET) 2006-2008. Collecting and cataloguing international datasets for use in classroom teaching and student theses (with Steve Mehay).
- Navy Sea Logistics Command (NSLC Pacific), 2005-2006. Research on retirement models and workforce planning models for DOD civilian employees (with Steve Mehay).
- Chief of Naval Personnel (N-14), 2004-2005. Impact of high school Junior ROTC participation on student academic performance, with Steve Mehay.
- Research Initiation Program, Naval Postgraduate School, 2003-2005. Research on gender differences in job performance and career progression for civilian DOD employees. Research on the long-term labor market effects of military spouses.
- Dean’s Award, College of Social Sciences, Michigan State University Research grant, 2002.
- Howard Neville Fellowship, Economics Department, Michigan State University Graduate student research fellowship, 1998-1999.
- Soros Foundation, Full scholarship to support undergraduate study, 1994-1998.
INVITED RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
2017
Western Economic Association Meetings, San Diego, CA.
2016
American Economic Association Annual Meetings, San Francisco, CA.
2014
Western Economic Association Meetings, Denver, CO.
2012
International Academy of Business and Economics, Venice, Italy.
2011
Western Economic Association, San Diego, CA.
2010
Rovira & Virgili University, Reus, Catalonia-Spain.
2009
Society of Labor Economists (SOLE) meeting, Boston, MA.
European Association of Labour Economists, Tallin.
2008
European Association of Labour Economists, Amsterdam.
Venice International University, Isola di San Servolo, Italy
Annual Conference of the European Society for Population Economics (ESPE), London.
Western Economic Association International, Waikiki, HI.
Navy Workforce Research & Analysis Conference, Washington DC.
2007
European Association of Labour Economists, Oslo, Norway.
2006
Association for Public Policy and Management, Madison, WI.
Society of Labor Economists (SOLE) meeting, Cambridge, MA.
Applied Econometric Association Meeting, Naples, Italy.
Western Economic Association International, San Diego, CA.
Baruch University, School of Public Affairs (City University of New York).
2005
Joint Meeting of the Society of Labor Economists (SOLE) and European Association of Labour Economists (EALE), San Francisco, CA.
Western Economic Association International, San Francisco, CA.
2004
Applied Econometric Association Conference on the Econometrics of Labour Demand, Mons, Belgium.
Western Economic Association International, Vancouver, Canada.
2003
Midwest Economic Association Meeting, St. Louis, MO.
2002
Southern Economic Association Conference, New Orleans.
Midwest Economic Association Meeting, Chicago.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Graduate School of Business & Public Policy, Naval Postgraduate School
- Introductory Econometrics (MN4110)
- Advanced Econometrics (MN4111)
- Introductory Economics (GB3070) (both resident and distance learning classes).
- Labor Economics (MN4760)
- Applied Topics in Labor Economics (MN4761)
Department of Economics, Michigan State University
- Taxes, Government Spending, and Public Policy.
- Introductory Macroeconomics.
SERVICE
- Area Chair, Manpower and Economics, 2013-2016.
- Teaching Effectiveness Committee, 2014.
- Course Coordinator for the Econometrics sequence, (MN4110/MN4111).
Redesigned the MN4110-MN4111 sequence to include modern econometric techniques and applications to manpower research. Integrated STATA in labs and lectures.
- MSA Curriculum hiring committee, January 2004, 2006, 2013, 2016.
- Referee for Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Southern Economic Journal, Economic Inquiry, Economics Bulletin, Armed Forces and Society, Defence and Peace Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, The IZA Journal of Labor Policy.
- Editorial Board, Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, 2013 –present.
ADVISING
(53 MSA thesis students)
2017
Chinomso Asonye, America Estevez Guerrero.
2016
Joshua Whamond
2015
Lyla Law, Oleksiy Pavliuchyk.
2014
Adam Turpin
2013
Miguel Moreno, Jessica Fahrman, Andrew Holmes.
2012
Trey McBride, Heather Ray, Matthew DeBaun, Akif Onder.
2011
Nicholas Pergar, Stacy Arenstein, Joseph Lizarraga, Leonard Rautio, Richard Amos.
2010
Seryoung Park, Jeremy McLaughlin.
2009
Scott Woosley, David Barber, Bradley Davin, Edmund Tomlinson, Justin Blackmon, Fatih Sahin, Serhat Ayhan,
John Armstrong.
2008
Nils Borchert, Adam Jeppe, Chang Kyu Chae, Ryan Mudd, Darby Wiler, Joel Hoffman, Christopher Distifeno.
2007
Craig Harvey, Charles Ryan, Douglas Barnard, Elizabeth Zardekas, Kevin Halfacre, Dennis Curran, Roy Lamont,
William Arias Jr., Selcuk Dal.
2006
Miguel Macias, Dimitrios Spyropoulos.
2005
Rita Becker, Guray Cerman, Bulent Kaya, Jerry Morgan.
2004
Janet Days, Yee Ling Ang, Ananias Meletiadis.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Albanian – fluent
Italian – fluent
German – basic