Ama Baafra Abeberese
Class of 1966 Associate Professor of Economics
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Research in development economics, with an emphasis on firm behavior in developing economies.
My area of interest is development economics and my research focuses on analyzing the behavior of firms in developing economies. My current research explores the constraints faced by firms in developing economies and the responses of firms to these constraints. Some of my work analyzes firm responses to electricity costs and outages and the implications for productivity and growth, the effects of trade costs on productivity, and the role of government institutions and policies in firm behavior and outcomes.
At Wellesley, I teach Development Economics (Econ 220), International Trade Theory (Econ 314) and Principles of Macroeconomics (Econ 102). In the development course, students use economic tools to gain an understanding of the key issues facing developing economies and review policy options. In the trade course, students study the major models of international trade and analyze trade policy. The principles of macroeconomics course introduces students to the core tools and methods for analyzing the aggregate economy.
Current and upcoming courses
Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON102
This course follows ECON 101 in continuing to build fundamental tools for exploration of the field. The course analyzes the aggregate dimensions of a market-based economy. Topics include the measurement of national income, economic growth, unemployment, inflation, business cycles, the balance of payments, and exchange rates. The impact of government monetary and fiscal policies is considered. Students who have AP or IB credit in economics and who elect ECON 102 forfeit the AP or IB credit. ECON 102P is an alternative course open to students who have not fulfilled the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) component of the Quantitative Reasoning & Data Literacy requirement.