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The science of charitable donations
Would you be more likely to donate to charity if you could report the gift sooner on your taxes? According to a new article published in the National Tax Journal, the answer is yes.
Associate professor Ross Hickey, along with researchers from the University of Melbourne and the University of Guelph, found that changing the deadline for donations closer to tax time increased donations by nine percent.
Ross Hickey
Economics
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Philosophy and consciousness
Consciousness is an exciting topic in the sciences and philosophy, and associate professor Dan Ryder’s main area of research over the past decade has focused on what philosophers call ‘intentionality’.
“Another way to put the research question is, ‘How does the brain represent the world?'”
In his quest to find the answer, Ryder has been using theoretical neuroscience (mostly computer modeling) to determine how brains learn.
“It turns out this work dovetails with the massive machine learning projects that Google is so keen on right now, such as deep learning and multi-view learning.”
Dan Ryder
Philosophy
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Helping municipalities better model land use change
A new approach to modelling land use change could help cities and towns better coordinate their land-use planning efforts.
The approach can enhance existing computer planning models, better enabling planners to consider how the land-use patterns of their neighbours could impact planning in their own communities.
“Traditionally, cities, towns and rural areas have seen planning as an exercise that was largely independent of their neighbours,” says John Janmaat, associate professor of economics. “With the spread of urban areas and the desire to protect certain pockets of land, it is becoming increasingly important for political jurisdictions to have the tools to be able to engage in more regional planning.
John Janmaat
Economics
Opportunities for Undergraduate Students
The Department of Economics, Philosophy, and Political Science offers many opportunities for undergraduate students to gain valuable research experience. You can participate in research either as a volunteer research assistant, or through Directed Studies and/or Honours opportunities. Explore your options below.
The opportunity: Get experience helping faculty members, graduate students, or a mixture of the two, with their research projects. This is a non-paid, non-credit based opportunity that will give you the chance to participate in various elements of conducting research. The duties and length of the opportunity is determined by the supervising faculty member.
Prerequisites: Typically, no experience is required, but some opportunities may require the completion of certain courses prior to volunteering.
Consult your program advisor or a faculty member for more information.
The opportunity: Carry out your own research project under the supervision of a faculty member. You can earn three or six credits, depending upon the project.
Prerequisites:
- Economics: ECON 204 and 205, permission of a supervising faculty member and the department
- Philosophy: fourth-year standing; 12 credits of PHIL; a minimum grade average of at least 72% in all completed PHIL courses; and permission of the department head
- Political Science: fourth-year standing; 12 credits of POLI; a minimum grade average of 72% in all completed POLI courses; and permission of the department head
- PPE: fourth-year standing in the PPE program and permission of the supervising faculty member
Consult your program advisor or a faculty member for more information.
The opportunity: Economics students can research and write a research paper under the supervision of a faculty member. You will be involved in all aspects of the research process, including a formal presentation of findings.
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honours in Economics program. See detailed admissions requirements in the Academic Calendar.
Consult your program advisor or a faculty member for more information.
Awards for Undergraduate Students
The Undergraduate Research Awards (URA) provide exceptional research experiences for students at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
The purpose of the awards is to encourage undergraduate students to pursue innovative and original research as part of their learning experience.
Our Partners and Donors
Together, we are making a difference, locally and around the world. Our partners and donors allow us to carry out our mission of helping the community, making advancements in psychological research, and providing quality education in the fields of economics, philosophy, and political science.
If you are interested in becoming a partner or donor, we would love to hear from you.