Boston College Economics Department

Using the donor exchange system developed by Professors Tayfun Sonmez and Utku Unver, Turkey’s İnönü University recently performed the largest liver transplant exchange in history. The so-called eight-way liver exchange involved surgeons at İnönü’s medical school performing 16 operations simultaneously, involving eight recipients and eight donors. The procedures were performed on June 12 and took 22 hours.

Groundbreaking achievement Boston College economists play integral role in the largest liver transplant exchange in history

Kit Baum, Summer Hawkins (Graduate School of Social Work) and Rebekah Coley (Lynch School of Education and Human Development) were recently awarded a $1.588 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of recreational cannabis policies on prenatal cannabis use and maternal and child health outcomes. Cannabis use among pregnant women has increased over the past decade and the cannabis policy landscape has been evolving rapidly, with 24 states and DC having legalized cannabis for recreational use. The authors propose a novel data linkage between individual-level survey data on prenatal substance use, birth certificates, and health insurance claims data to evaluate the effects of state- and county-level recreational cannabis policies on women’s substance use before, during, and after pregnancy and, subsequently, on birth outcomes and maternal and child health outcomes.

U.S. defense needs more competition, not more money, writes Assistant Professor of the Practice in Economics Peter Devine, co-author of an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

Opinion | U.S. Defense Needs More Competition, Not More Money The Pentagon doesn’t have to rely on legacy suppliers. It can create alternatives that others can produce.

Professor Tracy Regan was honored at the 2026 Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony held on May 17 with the ’Teacher of the Year Award.’ Each year Phi Beta Kappa inductees are asked to nominate an outstanding teacher who has positively influenced their experience at Boston College, in and/or outside the classroom. Faculty are selected for the award based on the cumulative nominations from students over multiple years. Paul Cichello, a member of the PBK Board, presented Tracy with her award.

Congratulations to Economics Professor of the Practice Tracy Regan on receiving the Boston College Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award!
Presented annually by students inducted into the University’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the award recognizes outstanding teaching and honors faculty who have made a lasting impact on students’ academic experiences. Recipients are selected based on nominations collected over multiple years.

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher spoke to Kurtis Lee of the New York Times about how many people "unretire" in a given year, why they might do it, and what role the rising cost of living plays

‘Fired From Retirement’: Financially Insecure, Older Americans Return to the Grind People return to work for many reasons, but the biggest is financial need. As costs remain high, more retirees could be looking to re-enter the job market.

Edson Severnini has been appointed a Research Fellow at CESifo, the global, independent research network based in Germany with members from across the world.

CESifo Homepage | ifo Institute | CESifo CESifo is a global, independent research network with members from across the world. Members are prominent economists with a broad spectrum of specialisms, each of whom brings years of experience and a high level of expertise to our research areas.

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher discusses options for individuals who have retirement plans from multiple employers.

Wait...where did my retirement money go? Reema goes on a hunt to find her long-forgotten retirement accounts from early in her career.