• Ph.D. in Economics, Washington State University, Expected 2021
  • Advisors: Dr. Jill J. McCluskey (co-chair), Dr. Ana Espínola-Arredondo (co-chair) and Dr. Thomar L. Marsh
  • Dissertation: Impact of Mainstream and Social Media on Decision Making
• M.Sc. in Applied Economics, Illinois State University, 2014-2016
  • Advisor: Dr. German Blanco
  • Capstone: Do Labor Market Intermediaries Affect the Speed of Employer Learning
• M.S.S in Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2008-2009
• B.S.S. in Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2003-2007

RESEARCH INTEREST

• Primary: Applied Econometrics, Economics of Information and Internet, Impact Evaluation using RCT
• Secondary: Empirical Industrial Organization, Environmental Economics, Labor Economics, Development Economics

WORKING PAPERS

• Islam, Afrin, and McCluskey, J.J., “How information influence consumer’s perception about processed meat”
• Islam, Afrin, and Espinola-Arredondo, A., “Climate Hope or Climate Fear: Triggering the right emotion”
• Islam, Afrin, and Blanco, German., “Do Labor Market Intermediaries Affect the Speed of Employer Learning”
• Marsh, T.L., & Islam, Afrin,. “Women Empowerment and decision making”

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• Instructor, Washington State University:
  • EconS 351–Agriculture Marketing (Online,Spring 2018)
  • EconS 102–Fundamentals of Macroeconomics (Online, Fall 2018)
  • EconS 305–Microeconomics without calculus (Online, Spring 2019)
  • EconS 101–Fundamentals of Microeconomics (Online, Summer 2019)
  • EconS 305–Microeconomics without calculus (Online, Fall 2019)
• Tutor: EconS 101 & 102. Academic Success and Career Center, WSU (Spring 2017)
• Teaching Assistant, Illinois State University
  • Eco 427-Fundamentals of Econometrics (Summer 2016)
  • Eco 440- Advanced Microeconomic Theory I (Spring 2016)

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

• Research Assistant –
  • Dr. Eric Jessup, Freight Policy Transport Center, Washington State University, Fall, 2017
  • Dr. Bidisha Mandal, Affordable Care and Rural Health Impact Analysis, Summer, 2017
  • Dr. Rati Ram, Analyzing the Role of Human and Natural Capitals as Engines of Growth For Transition Economies, Fall, 2014 – Fall, 2015
  • Dr. German Blanco, Program Evaluation and Impact on Job Search, Summer 2015

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Consultant, swisscontact-Katalyst, a USD 58 million market-development project of Swisscontact funded by DFID & SDC, based in Bangladesh, 2011–2014
• Research Associate, Center for Policy Dialogue-A civil society think-tank based in Bangladesh, 2009–2010

GRANTS AND AWARDS

• Washington State University Graduate Assistantship for PhD. Program, 2016–present
• Illinois State University Graduate Assistantship for masters program, 2014-16
• Washington State University SES Poster Competition Travel Grant, 2018
• Endowment for Graduate Student Excellence, Illinois State University, 2016
• Bangladesh-Sweden Travel Grant, 2014
• Government of Bangladesh Merit-based Scholarship, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2004-09

PRESENTATIONS

• Illinois State University Research Symposium, 2015
• Washington State University, School of Economic Sciences GSA Poster Presentation, 2018