Research
Centers & Laboratories
Faculty in the Department of Economics have wide-ranging areas of interest in their research. The department houses two world-class research centers, the Center for Industry Studies and the Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory, as well as the GDP Forecasting Model. These resources promote research that spans multiple disciplines, and enjoy international research collaboration.
Center for Industry Studies
Frank Giarratani, Director
The Center for Industry Studies was established by an endowment in 2001 to support research that is based on a deep understanding of firms and the markets in which they compete. The center encourages communication between faculty members and business firms as a means of informing academic research. Through research initiatives, affiliated faculty members strive to build partnerships with the community that yield educational opportunities and promote economic development. The Steel Plant Database is one of the center's research projects; limited access to the database is available online as a public service.
Industry Studies Association
Frank Giarratani, President
The Industry Studies Association draws members from many academic disciplines around shared research interests concerning industries and non-profit activities. The Association is motivated by a widely shared conviction that the impact of academic research concerning industry can be enhanced by communication across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The mission of the Association is to advance industry studies scholarship by facilitating the exchange of ideas among members and between members and the general public. Industry Studies Association members find value in basing their scholarship on the kind of significant personal investment that is necessary to develop deep understanding of the market and firm institutions related to the industries that they study. Often this investment involves direct interaction with industry practitioners as well as observation at the firm, plant, or establishment level.
Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory
John Duffy, Director
The Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory (PEEL) is an internationally recognized center for experimental research. The experimental metheodology enables testing of economic models and theories that are difficult to evaluate otherwise, often because the relevant data are unavailable. PEEL researchers use controlled, laboratory methods to understand economic decision-making by individuals in a variety of different economic environments. Economic decisioin-making experiments are conducted at PEEL throughout the year. Students who would like to participate in paid experiments can sign up on PEEL's Web site.
