03/30/2026
From Data to Decisions: Spring and Summer 2026 MA Economics at ODU Graduates
In a business environment drowning in data, we don’t just need people who can run a regression; we need individuals who understand and communicate what that means. This week, we are profiling five students graduating from Old Dominion University’s M.A. in Economics program in the spring and summer. A cohort defined by rigor and a "data science with a soul" approach.
These aren't just students; they are researchers who have spent the last two years working to master R, navigating causal inference, and wrestling with the large datasets that define the modern informational landscape.
First up: Karan Mandair
Specialty: Applied Econometrics — using advanced statistical methods to analyze real-world economic data, identify causal relationships, and generate insights that inform business and policy decisions.
Key Focus: Translating complex economic data into actionable insights — building statistical models and using data analysis to help organizations make smarter decisions in research, financial analysis, and policy evaluation.
Capstone Project Title: The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Healthcare Worker Wages — A study testing whether insuring millions of low-income Americans drove up healthcare labor costs, using a triple difference-in-differences design across expansion and non-expansion states from 2008-2019 with 37 million observations from U.S. Census microdata.
Strengths:
Statistical Modeling & Econometric Analysis
Data Analysis & Visualization — transforming large datasets into clear, actionable insights using R, Python, Tableau, and Power BI
Research Design & Quantitative Problem Solving
LinkedIn Profile: https://lnkd.in/eGvwgWWy
