Brandon Vick, Emily Schumacher, and Micaela Jebitsch
IUP students and faculty participated in the thirty-ninth annual Pennsylvania Economic Association Conference, held May 29–31, 2025, at the Pennsylvania State University Berks Campus in Reading, PA.
Emily Schumacher (BA, Economics/Honors) and Micaela Jebitsch (BS, Mathematics and Economics/Honors dual degrees) presented their research paper, “NHL Attendance, Did You Go?”, which investigates the various drivers of attendance at National Hockey League games by examining an eclectic range of factors that influence fan participation. This research extends previous work presented at the 2025 IUP Scholars Forum and the 2025 Pennsylvania Sports Business Conference.
Two IUP recent graduates attended this year’s PEA conference: Angel Alcantara (BA, Economics/Honors ‘23 and MS, Applied Mathematics ’25) and Alexander Tseng (BS, Mathematics and BA, Economics/Honors ’25).
IUP faculty member Brandon Vick delivered a research presentation and served as a paper discussant during concurrent sessions. He presented results of an ongoing project related to the criminal justice system and recidivism, “Accuracy and Impact of Supervision Risk Assessment Tools across Racial Groups.”
Micaela Jebitsch, Emily Schumacher, and Alexander Tseng
The joint research paper, “What Is the Relationship between Inequality and Economic Growth in ECOWAS Countries? A Look at Initial Incomes,” co-authored by Brian Sloboda and IUP faculty member Yaya Sissoko, was also presented during concurrent sessions.
IUP faculty members James Jozefowicz and Stephanie Brewer Jozefowicz participated remotely in the PEA board of directors’ meeting.
Stephanie Brewer Jozefowicz continues to serve as the organization’s secretary. Beginning June 2025, James Jozefowicz will serve as the organization’s vice president of publicity. Sissoko continues to serve as an ex officio board member and coordinates the annual PEA Best Undergraduate Paper Competition on behalf of the organization.
IUP will host the fortieth annual PEA conference, to be held May 28–30, 2026. Contact james.jozefowicz@iup.edu for additional information.
Micaela Jebitsch and Emily Schumacher
