visualnomics

Visualizes Economics

Transforms research into web applications

Provides intuitive and interactive data visualizations and simulations

Contributes to a more informed public debate

We are located at Kennesaw State University, and we combine research with passion.

Our research is applied in nature and data-driven, including economic impact studies, public policy simulations, policy programming, and country-risk assessments.

In order to contribute to a more informed public debate, our objective is to prepare our research in a way that makes it intuitively accessible for the public domain.

Projects

The Economic Burden of Human Capital Mismatch
The Economic Burden of Human Capital Mismatch

We develop a human capital mismatch index for a sample of 107 countries and provide empirical evidence for an inverse relationship between human capital mismatch and total factor productivity. We then use our empirical estimates to develop an interactive web-based application that allows for the illustration and visualization of a country’s human capital mismatch profile and simulation of the economic impact associated with changes in the country’s human capital mismatch performance.

This project has been generously supported by the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University.

Click here to open the application.

From Conflict to Empty Stomachs and Empty Classrooms to Empty Wallets
From Conflict to Empty Stomachs and Empty Classrooms to Empty Wallets

The purpose of this study is to examine the burden of conflict and food insecurity on forgone income through the education channel. The forgone schooling then has two effects: (1) the forgone school years have to be made up in later years, thus reducing the future labor force that otherwise would have been available in the economy, (2) if the forgone school years are not made up new labor market entrants are less qualified, therefore reducing a country’s total factor productivity.

This project has been generously supported by the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University.

Click here to open the application.

Death by Revolution? The Economic and Socioeconomic Impact of the Arab Uprising
Death by Revolution? The Economic and Socioeconomic Impact of the Arab Uprising

Since the beginning of the Arab Uprising in 2010, most Arab states have witnessed a slowdown of economic growth or, even worse as in the case of the conflict countries, a decline in real income per capita. The objective of this study is to take stock of the socioeconomic burden of the Arab uprising beyond the count of people directly killed in protests or wars. For this purpose, I first calculate the difference between the forecasted counterfactual incomes per capita had the Arab-uprising not taken place and the actual incomes after the structural break imposed by the revolutionary wave. In a second step, I then estimate for all Arab countries the forgone socioeconomic development dividend, focusing especially on child mortality, food insecurity, and forgone educational attainments.

Click here to open the application.

An Estimator of the Economic Dividend from Economic Freedom
An Estimator of the Economic Dividend from Economic Freedom

The simulator is built from data from the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom. The basic idea of the simulator is to add new functionality to the data. Specifically, the objective of the simulator is to allow users to perform web-based (1) Queries that allow for comparisons of a country’s freedom score to the country’s regional average, world average, and relative to its GDP per capita. (2) Simulations to change freedom scores to receive an estimated economic dividend associated with the simulated changes.

This project has been generously supported by the Bagwell Center for the Study of Markets and Economic Opportunity at Kennesaw State University.

Click here to open the application.

From Food Security to Childrens' Lives Affected

Epidemiological Dynamics Simulator

Epidemiological Dynamics Simulator

Predicting epidemiological dynamics is difficult when data is scarce as is the case with the current Covid-19 pandemic. Because of this data scarcity, daily assessments that incorporate the latest pieces of information are necessary. The purpose of this website is twofold:

  1. Allow for predictions based on the latest information. Specifically, based on the most recent two available data points about infections, our model estimates the underlying R0 (R-naught). The R0 is the number of new infections attributable to one currently infected person. It then uses the latest estimated R0, the assumed duration of communicability, and death rate to forecast the epidemiological dynamics for the next 180 days.
  2. Allow the user to set an alternative R0, duration of communicability, and death rate for simulation purposes. This option will allow for assessments and comparisons of the effect of public health interventions.

Our model can be used to generate epidemiological forecasts for any geographic unit like counties, cities, states, or countries. We attempt to provide public health actors with an easy-to-use tool to assess epidemiological trends based on most recent data. Well knowing that existing data is subject to a margin of error, we argue that it is still better to base public policy decisions on the assumption that existing data is not subject to a margin of error than putting lipstick on a pig.


Visualizing Economic Theory


Training and Education

E-mail: icatresearchgroup@gmail.com