About Me
I am a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
My research explores the social and institutional factors that shape academic science, with a focus on innovation and inclusion.
I am currently on the job market for the 2024-2025 academic year. I will be presenting my job market paper at the ASSAs in San Francisco, CA in January 2025.
Research
My research aims to address gender and geographic inequities in science by identifying factors that promote innovation and regional scientific capacity. To answer these questions, I primarily use reduced-form empirical methods, such as using policy changes as quasi-experimental variation and matching methods, to identify causal relationships. My work has explored gender disparities in academia, the impact of social policies on researcher productivity, and the role of cultural factors in scientific development.
My job market paper investigates gender differences in the benefits of coauthoring with prominent economists. Using a difference-in-differences with a matched sample design, I find that junior female economists who coauthor with female superstars experience significantly better publication outcomes than those who coauthor with male superstars. This highlights the importance of considering gender-specific factors to support women's success in economics.
Additionally, my research on scientific development in low- and middle-income countries examines the impact of research evaluation systems, social trust, and community engagement on scientific productivity. These works contribute to the broader discourse on promoting global scientific equity and have been published in Research Policy and Industry and Innovation.
Beyond my research, I’m actively involved in diversity initiatives at my university. As a research assistant for the ADVANCE Kaulike Catalyst project, I contribute to efforts to address systemic gender inequities in STEM faculty at the University of Hawai‘i.
Job Market Paper
Star Secrets? Gender differences in the impact of superstar coauthorship in Economics
Abstract
The field of economics grapples with a persistent gender gap, with the underrepresentation of women worsening at higher academic ranks (CSWEP, 2020). This paper investigates how gender shapes the benefits of collaboration with highly successful economists, or “superstars.” Specifically, I examine whether early coauthorship with a female superstar has a differential impact on the publication success of junior researchers compared to coauthorship with a male superstar. Using a difference-in-differences with a matched sample design, I find that junior women who coauthor with female superstars experience significantly better publication outcomes compared to those who coauthor with male superstars. In contrast, junior men appear to perform similarly regardless of the gender of their superstar coauthor. These findings suggest that female superstars may offer unique benefits to junior women that encourage publication success. These results highlight the importance of gender-specific factors in shaping success in economics and suggest that ongoing efforts for supporting women in economics should consider gender-specific approaches.
Publications
- “Ranking Researchers: Evidence from Indonesia” (with John Lynham and Caroline Fry), Research Policy, 2023
- “The Price of Mistrust: The impact of a medical ethics scandal on scientific capacity in sub-Saharan Africa” (with Caroline Fry), Industry and Innovation, 2024
In Progress
- “Star Secrets? Gender differences in the impact of superstar coauthorship in Economics”
- “Food for Thought: Can College Pantries Nourish Academic Success?”
CV
Interested in my background and experience?
Contact
Shannon P. Tran
sptran@hawaii.edu
(408) 332-0704
Department of Economics
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Saunders Hall 538
2424 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822