Danforth-Lewis Speaker Series

The Department of Economics sponsors several public lectures throughout the academic year. These lectures feature Oberlin faculty as well as academics and industry professionals.

One of its longest-running series is the Danforth-Lewis Speaker Series, which presents a range of voices from the economic industry who share their insight and subject expertise on a variety of current issues. These free lectures are coordinated by the department’s Danforth-Lewis Chair in Economics.

Past Speakers

2026

Nicholas Muller (Carnegie Mellon University)
"On Efficient Reverse Auctions to Manage Environmental Externalities"

2025

David Fuente (University of South Carolina)
"Financing the Transition to Safe and Resilient Water and Sanitation Services: The Challenge of Customer Arrears and Bill Payment"

Mario Crucini (Purdue University)
"What Lessons Does the Trade War of the 1930s Offer to Model-builders and Policy-makers in the 21st Century?"

Travis Baseler (University of Rochester)
"Reaching the Novice or Nudging the Expert? Networks, Information, and the Experimental Returns to Migration"

Philip Mulder (Wisconsin School of Business)
"Pricing Protection: Credit Scores, Disaster Risk, and Home Insurance Affordability"

Riley Acton (Miami University)
"Distance to Degrees: How College Proximity Shapes Students' Enrollment Choices and Attainment Across Race-Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status"

Greg Phelan (Williams College)
"Sustainability with Risky Growth"

2024

Carolina Tojal Ramos dos Santos (Inter-American Development Bank)
"Expansion of Piped Water and Sewer Networks: The Effects of Regulation"

Justin Ross (Indiana University)
"The Effect of Airbnb Expansion on Housing Prices: Evidence from the 2017 Solar Eclipse"