Economics of Disasters
March 5, 2025 | 7:00-8:00pm ET
Join Mark V. Siegler, Professor of Economics at California State University, Sacramento, for Economics of Disasters, which will look at a variety of disasters over time – including the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, the dust bowl of the 1930s, Hurricane Katrina, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic – through the lens of economic analysis. Educators will come away with the economic reasoning principles and evidence to be able to cover this topic, not only in economics courses, but also in history, current events, and other social studies disciplines.
With Siegler’s expertise in economic history, econometrics, and macroeconomics, he will provide an economic perspective to analyze significant events that impact economies and populations worldwide, as well as examine the common assumption that disasters can be beneficial for the economy. Siegler’s research has appeared in top economics journals and featured in The Economist and The Lancet. The second edition of his book, An Economic History of the United States: Connecting the Present with the Past, was also recently published.
The webinar will run for 45 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A.
Teaching Economics with Pop Culture
April 9, 2025 | 7:00-8:00pm ET
Join us for an engaging webinar with Dr. Jadrian Wooten, a nationally recognized expert in teaching economics through popular media and culture. Designed for teachers aiming to make economic concepts more accessible and relatable, this session will explore practical strategies for leveraging the power of media and pop culture in your classroom. Dr. Wooten, an Associate Professor of Economics and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Virginia Tech, has been featured in major media outlets and is the author of several articles on economics pedagogy and the Monday Morning Economists newsletter. He will share simple, quick-win strategies and advanced integrations to help you bring economic theories to life using everything from viral TikTok trends to popular streaming shows. You’ll leave with ready-to-use examples, innovative teaching tools, and actionable methods to increase student engagement and understanding by connecting economic principles to the media your students consume every day.
Following a 45-minute presentation, Dr. Wooten will take Q&A from the audience. The webinar is scheduled to last 60 minutes.