Thomas J. Durfee
1994 Buford Avenue: Room 213
Ruttan Hall: St. Paul, MN, 55108
Email: durfe019@umn.edu
Education
Ph.D. Candidate (Applied Economics), University of Minnesota: Expected May 2024
M.P.P. (Advanced Policy Analysis), University of Minnesota: May 2016
B.S. (Mathematical Economics), University of Saint Thomas: May 2011
B.A. (Philosophy), University of Saint Thomas: May 2011
Peer Reviewed Publications
Caspi, C.; Gombi-Vaca, M.F.; Wolfson, J.; Harnack, L.; Dee Marco, M.; Pratt, R.; Durfee, T,; Myers Jr, S. “Early Results of a Natural Experiment Evaluating the Effects of a Local Minimum Wage Policy on the Diet-Related Health of Low-Wage Workers, 2018-2020.” Public Health Nutrition 2023. doi:10.1017/S1368980023001520
Durfee, T.; Myers, S.L. Jr.; Wolfson, J.; DeMarco, M; Harnak, L.; Caspi, C. “The Determinants of Racial Disparities in Obesity: Baseline Evidence from a Natural Experiment.” Agricultural and Resource Economics Review 2021 (50) 3
McGuire, C., Gollust, S.; DeMarco, M.; Durfee, T.; Wolfson, J.; Caspi, C. “Equity at the Ballot Box: Health as a Resource for Political Participation Among Low Income Workers in Two United States Cities.” Frontiers in Political Science 2021 (22) 1.
Caspi, C.; De Marco, M.; Durfee, T.; Oyengua, A.; Chapman, L.; Wolfson, J.; Myers Jr., S.; Harnack, L. “A Difference in Difference Study Evaluating the Effect of Minimum Wage Policy on Body Mass Index and Related Health Behaviors.” Observational Studies 2021(7) 1.
Nanney, M.S.; Myers, S.L., Jr.; Xu, M.; Kent, K.; Durfee, T.; Allen, M.L. “The Economic Benefits of Reducing Racial Disparities in Health: The Case of Minnesota.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019 (16) 742. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050742
Other Publications
Citizens League Report: “Saint Paul Minimum Wage Study Committee Phase 2 (Technical Draft)”, August 2018. https://citizensleague.org/projects/minimum-wage/
Citizens League Report: “Gathering Community Input on a Possible Minimum Wage Increase in St Paul: Scoping Project,” February 2018. https://citizensleague.org/projects/minimum-wage/
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Center for Prevention Report: “The Economic Case for Health Equity in Minnesota.” https://www.healthdisparities.umn.edu/policy/hepi
Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice. “Evaluation of a Minimum Wage Increase in Minneapolis and Hennepin/Ramsey County,” September 2016. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-187333.pdf
Working Papers
▪ The Double Bottom Line and Sales.
▪ The Economic Effects of the Subminimum Wage.
▪ The Effect of Household Labor on Employment Matching.
▪ Racial Differences in Time at Work Not Working: A Rejoinder (With William Darity Jr., Darrick Hamilton, Samuel Myers Jr., Gregory Price, and Man Xu). Under review at ILRR.
Academic Teaching Experience
Instructor of Record Roles:
Applications of Excel in Economics and Management (UMN APEC 1201)
Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2020 – Present
Designed course APEC 1201: Applications of Excel in Economics and Management, creating material to introduce and reinforce best practices for conveying quantitative information graphically to promote retention and understanding using Microsoft Excel. Offered in both in person, and online asynchronous formats.
Student evaluations below are weighted for response counts.
Overall. [5.4/6.0]
The instructor was well prepared for class. [5.7/6.0]
The instructor presented the subject matter clearly. [5.3/6.0]
Interactions with the instructor helped me learn. [5.3/6.0]
The instructor treated me with respect. [5.5/6.0]
The instructor provided feedback intended to improve my course performance. [5.4/6.0]
I would recommend this instructor to other students. [5.2/6.0]
Note: Spring and Summer of 2020 are not included because the university used a different evaluation for the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
Teaching Assistant Roles:
Principles of Microeconomics (UMN APEC 1101)
Spring 2019
Supported an undergraduate class of 120 covering models of supply and demand under perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, as well as models of public goods, game theory, and monopsony.
Economics for Policy Analysis and Planning II (UMN PA 5022)
Fall 2018
Guest lectured on research that applied two stage least squares regressions to study gun violence.
Supported a graduate class of 30, covering models of rational agent expected utility, statistical discrimination, and labor as applied to the economics of race and crime.
Economics for Policy Analysis and Planning I (UMN PA 5021)
Spring 2015
Supported graduate class of 30, covering models of supply and demand, market power, game theory, policy intervention, consumer preferences, and firm production.
Miscellaneous Educational Roles:
Data Visualization Teaching Assistant (UMN Clinic)
In 2016, helped organize and implement a weekend graduate crash course on data visualization
Assisted instructor in developing course content and grading assignments
Instructed a class of 30 in a computer lab setting using Microsoft Excel 2016 and R
Research Experience
Research Assistant Roy Wilkins Center of Social Justice & Human Relations: Spring 2016-Present
Data Analyst Minnesota Department of Revenue (Summer Intern): May 2015-August 2015
Research Assistant Center for the Study of Politics and Governance: August 2014 -January 2015
Presentations
Session Chair and Panelist
Wage and Unemployment : Western Economics Association International 2019 (Tokyo, Japan) https://weai.org/conferences/view/1/15th-International-Conference
Corporate Social Responsibility : Western Economics Association International 2019 (Tokyo, Japan) https://weai.org/conferences/view/1/15th-International-Conference
Session Panelist
Pay – Minimums, Parity, Performance: Labor and Employment Relations Association 2020 (Portland, OR) https://lera.memberclicks.net/72nd-lera-anl-mtg#program
The Economic Case for Health Equity. National Economics Association: January 2018 (Philadelphia, PA) https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/2018/preliminary/1780?q=eNo1i0EKgCAUBe_y1i4qaOM5uoDkXCeEyo9fChHvnmbtZmAmQ0jE-XNJTND5V2iMKApGxK9VoBApHJ0uR3drLUXjdrJvrBCYK81D-6xJ3-UO6sRmazShPHr1XCJw
Social Equity and the Methodology of Assessing the Impacts of Minimum Wage Increases. Association of Public Policy Analysts and Managers: November, 2016 (Washington D.C.) https://appam.confex.com/appam/2016/webprogram/Session7608.html
City Council Presentation
Minimum wage increase study: Receiving and filing a presentation on the results of a study evaluating a minimum wage increase in Minneapolis and Hennepin/Ramsey County. October 2016. Presentation to the Committee of the Whole, File No. 16-01350. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-187158
Committee Service
Undergraduate Honors Committee Member
Madilyn Smith (2023)
Awards
Borealis Student Leadership Award (2021)
Journal Reviews
Elsevier: SSM Population Health (since 2020)
References
Exam Members:
Marc Bellemare (Exam Committee Chair)
332C Ruttan Hall, Department of Applied Economics
1994 Buford Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55108
Email: mbellema@umn.edu
Laura Kalambokidis (Applied Economics Advisor)
218C Ruttan Hall, Department of Applied Economics, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108-6040
612 625 1995
Email: kalam002@umn.edu
Samuel Myers Jr (Public Affairs Advisor)
263 Humphrey School, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-9821
Email: myers006@umn.edu
Non-Exam Members:
Audrey Dorélien
234 Humphrey School, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-626-7403
Email: dorelien@umn.edu
Donald Liu
317G Ruttan Hall, Department of Applied Economics, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108-6040
612 625 6765
Email: dliu@umn.edu
Judy Temple
235 Humphrey School, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-6693
Email: jtemple@umn.edu