Affiliated Departments & Programs

Galina An was born in the former Soviet Union republic of Kazakstan. After completing high school in Taldykorgan, she entered Kazak State University in the capital, Almaty, where she studied the mechanics of fluids and gases. After completing her studies, she was employed by the university, modeling dynamic processes in internal combustion engines using computer programs.

After the breakdown of the Soviet Union, An became interested in economics and entered the master's degree program at Kazakstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research. A year later, she received a scholarship from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to study at the University of Colorado, where she earned both her master's degree and doctorate in economics.

With regards to Kenyon College, An said, "I was drawn by the beauty of the campus and the greatness of the people - faculty, students, and staff - at Kenyon." An currently teaches a variety of economics courses ranging from introductory classes to honors seminars, as well as contributing to various journals.

Education

2004 — Doctor of Philosophy from Univ Colorado Boulder

1997 — Master of Arts from Univ Colorado Boulder

1996 — Master of Arts from Kazak Institute of Mgmt

1987 — Bachelor of Science from Kazak State University

Courses Recently Taught

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, taxes, externalities, price controls, consumer choice, production and cost, product pricing and market structure. This course is required for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every fall semester.

This course is an intensive study of the fundamental logic of economic behavior, primarily within the context of a market economy. The course develops a systematic analysis of consumer and producer behavior, linked through the principles of exchange and market structure. The resulting explanation of product prices and factor rewards is used to evaluate and analyze economic efficiency and the distribution of welfare under alternative economic policies and conditions. This course is required for the major. Prerequisite: ECON 101 and ECON 102, and a college-level calculus course or a score of 4 or 5 on the AP calculus exam. Offered every fall semester.

This course focuses on the basics of international trade — theories of international trade, the instruments of trade policies, their impact on welfare and employment, the movement of factories and economic integration. While emphasis is placed on developing and empirically testing theories, we also discuss major trade-related issues such as the economic effects of globalization, the role of the World Trade Organization, labor and immigration issues, foreign direct investment and outsourcing. This counts toward an elective for the major. Prerequisite: ECON 101, 102 and 201. Generally offered every other year.

This course introduces students to the tools of derivative and integral calculus used in microeconomics and macroeconomics. These tools include Lagrange multiplier methods for unconstrained and constrained optimization, Kuhn-Tucker conditions for nonlinear programming, and Hamiltonian functions for problems of dynamic optimization. The course emphasizes the application of the tools of calculus rather than the underlying calculus theory. Therefore, students taking the course are expected to be familiar with derivative and integral calculus, as well as with the main principles of micro- and macroeconomics. This counts toward an elective for the major. Prerequisite: ECON 101, 102, 201 and MATH 111, 112, 213 or the appropriate AP calculus scores. Generally offered every other year.

This seminar focuses on potential causes of persistent poverty in developing countries. We explore the issues of food deprivation, poor health, substandard education, high population growth and low savings rates. We also examine the recent empirical evidence on microfinance and local entrepreneurship, as well as the micro foundations of local institutions. This course utilizes analysis and principles of behavioral economics, conventional econometrics techniques and randomized controlled trials (RCT) that are used in the field of development economics. This counts toward the seminar requirement for the major. Prerequisite: ECON 101, 102 and 205. Junior standing. Offered every two or three years.