Hello, and welcome 👋 to my website! I am Ethan, a recent graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, where I received my Bachelor's of Science in Economics and minor in Mathematics in 2020. Additionally, in 2019, I spent two semesters studying Financial Economics and Machine Learning at Columbia University as an undergraduate Visiting Student.
During my time at UNR, I was a research assistant in the Economics Department under the supervision of Dr. Mehmet S. Tosun. There, my research activities primarily focused on investigating the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different countries and examining the efficacy of employing different fiscal and monetary policy responses.
At Columbia, some of my activities included involvement in the Columbia Space Initiative (CSI) rocketry mission 🚀 where I helped work on the construction of the carbon fiber fins for the competition rocket. I also regularly attended meetings hosted by the Columbia Financial Investment Group (CFIG) and the Columbia Economics Society.
After graduation, I began interning at the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development where I helped advise senior cabinet officials in (D) Governor Sisolak's administration. I also conducted research on various topics related to infrastructure development and COVID-19 resilience across the state. Insights from my research have been quoted publicly by government officials and included in portions of the Nevada State Plan 2021 to serve as recommendations for the 33rd session of the Nevada State Legislature.
Research Interests
My primary research interests lie at the interface between economics and machine learning 🤖. Specifically, I am interested in leveraging big data to improve predictive capabilities and draw novel insights within financial contexts. Further, I am intrigued by the idea of employing Natural Language Processing (NLP) to utilize large text corpus data for financial analysis. Where possible, I am eager to examine where open-source software and its development can be used within each of these topics.
In the past, my research has focused extensively on investigating the economic impacts of COVID-19. I have presented research findings at various organizations including the World Bank and the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. More information about these presentations and my publications can be found on the Talks page or using the link to my Google Scholar profile in the sidebar.
Background
My hometown is Reno, Nevada, USA (only around a 20-minute drive from Lake Tahoe). With the exception of the time I spent in New York City, I have lived in Reno my entire life. While in NYC, I lived in both Morningside Heights and Midtown Manhattan. I am the grandson of Italian and Polish immigrants and both of my parents were the first in their families to attend college (making me a second-generation college student).
Contact Info
I am always excited to meet and talk to new people, especially those who share an interest in economics, finance, or computer science. If you would like to grab coffee, and we happen to be in the same city, feel free to send me an email using the link above in the sidebar, and let's caffeinate ☕️!