UMKC Economics

Title: Is There a Limit to Credit?
Speaker: Conner N. Howell

When: Tuesday, April 28th 5:30-7:30 PM
Where: Haag Hall, 301

Abstract:

Is there a limit to credit? Economics typically answers this in terms of prices: interest rates adjust, risks are priced, and frictions distort outcomes. In doing so, it treats credit limits as an equilibrium phenomenon.
This talk rejects that starting point. It argues that the primary constraint on lending is not an equilibrium outcome at all, but a structural one: a feasibility boundary that determines the maximum repayment the financial system can extract at any level of borrowing, across all admissible lending arrangements.
From this perspective, credit rationing is not fundamentally about frictions, asymmetric information, or market failure. These mechanisms operate within a deeper constraint. Once that constraint is made explicit, many long-standing debates in the literature look different: models that appear to disagree are often not competing explanations, but partial characterizations of the same underlying limit.
This shift in perspective also changes how we think about financial innovation and institutions. They do not simply “improve” market outcomes; they alter the set of feasible lending arrangements and, with it, the location of the boundary itself.

This Friday, April 24, the Econ Club will host Dr. Ali Alper Alemdar, UMKC Economics PhD alumnus and assistant professor at St. Francis College, for a presentation on his study on "Competition and Monopoly in the Platform Economy."
The study examines how platform companies achieve monopolistic dominance not through market distortion, but as a logical outcome of capitalist competitive dynamics, examining technical control and infrastructure as sources of structural advantage.

As a UMKC Economics PhD alumnus who completed his degree in 2023, Dr. Alemdar knows firsthand what graduate school here is like, and he is excited to connect with current students and share his journey from our program to St. Francis College. It is a perfect chance to network with someone who recently walked the same path and get insights into launching an academic career.

Event details are below. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Speaker: Ali Alper Alemdar
Topic: Competition and Monopoly in the Platform Economy
Date/Time: Friday, April 24, at 3:00 PM
Room: HH-301

This Friday, April 17, the Econ Club will host Güney Işıkara and Patrick Mokre for an online talk on their recent book Marx’s Theory of Value at the Frontiers - Classical Political Economics, Imperialism and Ecological Breakdown. Both authors completed their PhDs at the New School under the supervision of Anwar Shaikh.

Their study shows the necessity of the labor theory of value for understanding market prices and their relationship to underlying values. The study also demonstrates the usefulness of value theory in analyzing contemporary imperialism and the ecological crisis. In his review, Ahmet Tonak describes the book as a “timely book on urgent questions.”

The authors will introduce their book, followed by a Q&A session. Meeting details are below. Hope to see you all.

Topic: Book Launch: Marx's Theory of Value at the Frontiers
Time: Apr 17, 2026 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://lnkd.in/gg-sumUb

Meeting ID: 984 3675 4544
Passcode: 595470

LinkedIn This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

The Economics Department is excited to invite you to our upcoming Ask an Economics Professor panel!

With Kansas City gearing up to be a host city, we will be discussing the massive economic impacts, opportunities, and challenges surrounding the upcoming games. Whether you are a soccer fan, an economics enthusiast, or just curious about what this means for our city or the nation, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Event Details:

Topic: FIFA World Cup

Date: April 7

Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Location: HAAG 301

Moderator: Sirisha Naidu

Panelists: Ariel Dvoskin, Kabeer Bora, and Taki Manolakos
Bonus: Snacks will be provided! 🍕
Come bring your questions, join the discussion, and grab a bite to eat.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Event Reminder! Check out the Flyer please

The Econ Club will host Wesam Berkouda, Commercial Director of Seaboard Energy Company, for a talk on internship opportunities at the company. These internships will be available to both graduate and undergraduate students. Our speaker will also give a presentation on the real-life applications of economics and statistical analysis. We believe this is a great opportunity to gain work experience and build our professional network.

Event information is as follows (see the flyer for more information):

Speaker: Wesam Berkouda (Commercial Director)

Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM
Room: Haag Hall 301

This Wednesday at 4:00 PM, The Economics Club will be hosting Jaz Hays, who is known for creating Kansas City–specific datasets. These datasets help us understand the socioeconomic structure of Kansas City from a historical perspective. The data are not shared by any institution and were created entirely through Jaz’s individual efforts. He constructed these maps by scraping data from various websites. You can access the mapped data here: https://jazhays.com/maps/misc/

Jaz will give a presentation introducing these datasets. He will explain which websites the data were scraped from and how web scraping works, including a walkthrough of the code. We will also ask him to share the code with us and explain how it functions. In addition, we will discuss how this Kansas City–focused project can be expanded and applied to other websites.
For these reasons, we believe web scraping is an important tool for creating unique datasets, and we invite you to join us for this event.
Speaker: Jaz Hays
Date: Wednesday, January 28, at 4:00 PM
Location: Haag Hall 301
Note: you can also attend online.

Topic: Creating a Unique Dataset: Web Scraping
Time: Jan 28, 2026 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://umsystem.zoom.us/j/92331654988?pwd=pSwma6nMe2yhEaaKYhcb5wLRJ9QJa8.1
Meeting ID: 923 3165 4988
Passcode: 977459
Pizza will be provided.

The priority deadline for filing the FAFSA is February 1.

UMKC Department Economics awards approximately $55,000 in scholarships to economics students every year.

Much of this requires demonstrated financial need.

The FAFSA is how students demontrate financial need.

If you have not filed the FAFSA, you should do so before the February 1 priority deadline.

Go to studentaid.gov to file.

Join the International Relations Council and the World Trade Center–Kansas City for a timely panel discussion on the evolving state of the global economy and what lies ahead in 2026. Local and international experts will explore key economic trends, the forces shaping global markets, and the ways these shifts impact businesses and communities in the Kansas City region. Gain valuable insights into what global developments mean for our local future. Our very own Prof. Sirisha Naidu will be one of the panelists at this event.

Wednesday, December 10, 2025
1730hrs – 1915hrs

Register here: https://www.irckc.org/what-we-do/irc-events-calendar/ =10796&cid=1742&wid=2201

All students in the BA-MA program at UMKC Economics receive the Graduate Roo Scholarship. This is a $1,000 scholarship towards your graduate degree ($500 per semester for the first two semesters).

📢 Follow Us on Instagram! 📸
Stay updated with all things economics at UMKC. From department news to student insights, we've got it all!
👉 Scan the QR code or click here: https://www.instagram.com/umkceconomics/ to follow us!