Economics and Decision Sciences

Jessica Lin

Jessica Lin (Harriger); Professor of Economics

Director for the School of Accounting,
   Finance, Economics, & Decision Sciences

Stipes Hall 431
(309) 298-1152
JL-Lin@wiu.edu

Ph.D. Economics, Binghamton University (SUNY), 2010, Conspicuous Consumption & Inequality: Theory and Evidence
M.A. Economics, Western Illinois University
B.B. Economics, Western Illinois University

Dr. Lin joined the department in Fall 2009 after earning her Ph.D. in Economics from Binghamton University (SUNY) with specializations in Environmental Economics, Public Economics, and Econometrics. Her research lies in applied micro-economics problems with a special interest in the role of peer-group influence. She teaches a variety of courses ranging from introductory principles to graduate level mathematical economics and microeconomic theory. Dr. Lin has also pioneered the department’s online learning programs and teaches many of the online course offerings. She previously served as the Department's Graduate Coordinator (MS Quantitative Economics, MS Applied Statistics & Decision Analytics, and Certificate in Business Analytics) and graduate advisor for the Economics program.  She currently serves as the Interim Director for the newly merged School of Accounting, Finance, Economics, & Decision Sciences.

Research Interests

Applied Microeconomic Theory, Health Economics, Environmental Economics, Public Economics

Selected Research Papers

  • Harriger-Lin, Khanna, & Pape (2020).  "Conspicuous Consumption and Peer-Group Inequality: The Role of Preferences" The Journal of Economic Inequality, 18(3), 365-389.
  • Babin, JJ, Feld TN, Harriger-Lin, JL, and Mitchell, K. (2021). “The Best of Both Worlds? A Controlled Comparison of Hybrid and Online Economics Student Outcomes.” Journal of Education for Business. 97:1, 43-53. 
  • Babin, Harriger-Lin, & Melkumian (2020). "Does Economic Inequality Impact Fan Arrests in NFL Stadia?" Journal of Economic Insight, 46(2).
  • Delgado, Harriger-Lin, & Khanna (2015). "The Value of Environmental Status Signaling” Ecological Economics, Vol. 111, pgs. 1-11
  • Muhammed, Gundala, Singh, and Harriger-Lin (2015). "Graduate Marketing Students’ Satisfaction in the Caribbean: A Longitudinal Case Study". Quality Approaches in Higher Education Vol. 6, No. 1, pgs. 17-25.

Upper Division and Graduate Course Responsibilities

Economics 310: Economics & Law
Economics 312: Economics of Cannabis **NEW and Forthcoming *
Economics 325: Money, Banking, and Credit
Economics 351: Global Economic Poverty Issues
Economics 381: Economic Problem Solving
Economics 408G: Economic Theory for Decision Makers
Economics 410G: Economics of Crime & Punishment
Economics 481G: Mathematical Economics
Economics 490G: Health Economics 
Economics 504: Price Theory
Economics 509: Fundamental of Economic Theory
Economics 581: Advanced Mathematical Economics
Decision Sciences 490G: Statistical Software for Data Management - R