Had a great time at the inaugural MidSouth Ed Policy Conference, organized by @rajdarolia.bsky.social, @mikekofoed.bsky.social, and @riacton.bsky.social and truly pulled off by the amazing Emily Wilcox Walls, in my beautiful hometown, Lexington.

This week we saw, once again, the rise of "zombie ideas" that were awful from history but yet still rise from the crypt. In today's Deseret News column, I write about the danger of when elected officals hijack the central bank and manipulate monetary policy. www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

Excited for my handbook chapter on FAFSA completion to come out in the @aefplivehandbook.bsky.social Also a good time to announce that I recently was invited to join @aefplivehandbook.bsky.social journal @efpjournal.bsky.social as an Associate Editor. Send us your best papers on education policy.

Reminder - submit to the inaugural MidSouth Education Policy Workshop in Lexington, KY Oct 16-17! Deadline is next Wed 08/27. Info & link to submit: bit.ly/44TdiGf @ckcarruthers.bsky.social @riacton.bsky.social @mikekofoed.bsky.social #Econconf #EconSky #EduSky #policysky

My column out this morning at @deseret.com.web.brid.gy discusses why the firing of the BLS commissioner over the jobs report will hurt trust in public data, demonstrates poor leadership principles, and creates incentives for dishonesty. www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

One of my good friends and coauthors @mikekofoed.bsky.social was on a podcast talking about the enrollment of men in college. I think this was a good listen, Mike is always a good conversation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnAi...

Or better yet...maybe @dcollier74.bsky.social and I should have our own higher ed podcast!!

@mikekofoed.bsky.social and I have been doing a few things together that haven't come out to the light recently but it's always fun to work with him. We disagree on a few things and lean differently politically but agree on the same basic concepts - we want Higher Ed opportunities. This was fun.

@mikekofoed.bsky.social and I have read recent bad takes about what a recession could mean for higher Ed. Some drew on the Great Recession, we wanted to show how things are much different this time around and outcomes unlikely similar. @insidehighered.com www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Keep an eye out my next OpEd written with my man @mikekofoed.bsky.social will be out on Wed with @insidehighered.com It’s Not 2008 Anymore: With recession risks rising, higher ed faces very different circumstances than it did during the Great Recession, Daniel A. Collier and Michael Kofoed write.

Thanks to everyone who attended #AEFP2025 and safe travels home! We're thinking about how to support members in the year ahead. Feel free to reach out with suggestions, or you can provide ideas on the post-conference survey.

Bumped twice from my flight. Got paid. Did some writing and email. Even did a TV interview from the airport terminal. Starting to feel like Tom Hanks. @aefpweb.bsky.social hope to make it to you someday. #AEFP2025

Tight connection through Atlanta. Turns out, what may be a statistical improbability, that my Delta flight from Columbia, South Carolina is the SAME plane and gate as my next flight to Knoxville.

Not a real Nobel they said.

For Econ/policy PhD students on the market interested in higher ed/workforce related policy - come work with us! See postdoc position below at a new Center Steph Cellini and I co-Direct.

There are a lot of new master's degree programs, and I have been concerned that they generate a return for the college but not for students. However, my newest working paper finds that new master's programs generate similar outcomes to longstanding programs (and even a bit better at privates).

Higher Education is often modeled a strong ROI that states can invest in. It's not economic conditions that get into the way of higher ed - it's often political preferences. www.deseret.com/opinion/2025... www.upjohn.org/research-hig...

One thing that econ critiques don't understand is there is no insult from them that economists haven't already heard from another economist in their professional career.

From what I can see, such a valuable piece of knowledge - hooray for the authors, both doctoral students (Kyu Matsuzawa is on the market qmatsuzawa.com) h/t @mikekofoed.bsky.social

Folks, please don't accept invites from an account pretending to be me with my handle with a 1 after it. Luckily, there seems to be only one of me on here...and only sparingly. Thanks!

The benefits of tariffs are concentrated but the costs are diffuse.

2/3// There are 5 articles: @johncawley.bsky.social & Sammy Gold quantify market changes, @anne-m-burton.bsky.social provides advice as a JMC, @mikekofoed.bsky.social as a search chair, @sebastiantt.bsky.social holistically, & @toddyarbrough.bsky.social discusses the rise of teaching specialists.

1/3// #EconJMCs and Search Chairs: this year’s 3rd CSWEP News (@aeacswep.bsky.social) focused on the post-pandemic PhD job market. It highlights what has, and what hasn't, changed from the pre-COVID times, and provides corresponding resources and advice. #EconSky www.aeaweb.org/content/file...

SEC-ACC Challenge: Syracuse Orange vs Tennessee Vols.

Watching this Georgia-Georgia Tech game and missing my friend, Rodney Andrews. My phone would be blowing up with snarky banter right now. Rest in power, friend.

Very thankful for reghdfe and ivreghdfe.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. Hope you all have a great day. I am thankful for so many friends and colleagues!

Tennessee vs UConn

🚨Volume 7 is out! Handbook of the Economics of Education Edited w/ Rick Hanushek & Steve Machin Great overview chapters on cutting-edge topics in the economics of education by top scholars Have a look! 👉https://www.sciencedirect.com/handbook/handbook-of-the-economics-of-education/vol/7 1/7

Happy to share this oped in the Deseret News that I coauthored with Olga Stoddard (BYU) that describes the influential work of the 2023 Nobel Prize winner: Claudia Goldin. www.deseret.com/opinion/2023...

And on the third day, God gave the economist exogenous variation

Hi Everyone, as an FYI. I am on a slate of candidates to serve on the Board of the Economics of National Security Association. If you are interested in defense economics, policy, and research. Please join ENSA for free to receive a ballot. ensa.us.com

Via @novosad.bsky.social on Twitter: Zoom school is worse than real school. I'm surprised that these effects aren't bigger: 0.2 SD is only ~half a semester of learning in a typical rich country. docs.iza.org/dp14356.pdf #econsky 📉📈

Blue sky

Wait?!? This is where @imbernomics.bsky.social has been this whole time?