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New Faces 2025: Associate Professor Itai Arieli

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Portrait of Associate Professor of Economics Itai Arieli
Associate Professor of Economics Itai Arieli

Newly appointed Associate Professor Itai Arieli knows exactly what the Department of Economics at the University of Toronto is like. The specialist in economic theory and game theory took the two years to see how the university’s strong academic reputation plays out in real life. He decided to stay.

“During my time here as a visiting professor, I experienced firsthand the department’s collegial atmosphere and intellectual vitality,” Professor Arieli said. “I look forward to contributing through both research and teaching and to being an active part of the academic community.”

Professor Arieli’s research focuses on game theory, information economics, market design, and network formation. His recent work has been published in Econometrica, Theoretical Economics, and the Journal of Economic Theory. [Read more…]

New Faces 2025: Assistant Professor Fern Ramoutar

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Portrait of Assistant Professor of Economics Fern Ramoutar
Assistant Professor of Economics Fern Ramoutar

The Department of Economics is pleased to welcome Assistant Professor Fern Ramoutar to the University of Toronto. Professor Ramoutar joins the department from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago where she studied topics in real estate and urban economics, using tools from empirical industrial organization and applied microeconomics. In a recent paper, she investigated the impact of market power in residential real estate in the context of the Chicago rental market.

“UofT is distinctive for its innovative and critical approaches to addressing complex problems,” Ramoutar said about her appointment. “I am thrilled to continue my work in a research community that is exceptionally creative, supportive, and focused on translating research into tangible policy solutions. Toronto is also my hometown, and it is an extraordinary place in which to learn and do research about the causes and consequences of urban inequality. I look forward to making connections and building tools that serve local communities, both within the city and beyond.” [Read more…]

New Faces 2025: Assistant Professor Shamil Sharapudinov

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Portrait of Assistant Professor of Economics Shamil Sharapudinov
Assistant Professor of Economics Shamil Sharapudinov

Assistant Professor Shamil Sharapudinov joined the Department of Economics on 1 July. Professor Sharapudinov comes to the University of Toronto from Pennsylvania State University, where he studied for his PhD with a primary specialization in international economics. He also maintains research interests in topics of macroeconomics, spatial economics, and industrial organization. His most recent research paper examines how trade and technological shocks propagate across local labor markets and affect the welfare of consumers with different income levels.

Shamil joined the Department of Economics for the opportunity to contribute to its vibrant research environment.

“The University of Toronto is one of the world’s leading universities with excellent faculty in any field of economics,” he said. “I am particularly excited about the Department of Economics’ close ties with the Rotman School of Management, which fosters a diverse and interdisciplinary research environment. I believe this is an ideal setting for a young scholar to thrive and develop original research ideas.” [Read more…]

New Faces 2025: Assistant Professor Viktoriia Zezerova

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Portrait of Assistant Professor of Economics, Viktoriia Zezerova
Assistant Professor of Economics, Viktoriia Zezerova

The Department of Economics welcomes Assistant Professor Viktoriia Zezerova. She studied at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg and in the PhD program in Economics at Pennsylvania State University. In her recent research, she combines structural modeling with rich microdata to uncover mechanisms behind trade policy effects in imperfectly competitive markets.

Viktoriia chose to come to UofT for its outstanding research community that holds considerable influence in her research fields of international economics, industrial organization, and applied microeconomics.

“As a PhD student, I was deeply inspired by many of the papers written by the department’s faculty members, so it feels very special to become a part of this community,” she said.

During the fall/winter semester, Professor Zezerova will be teaching ECO364, International Trade Theory, and ECO365, International Monetary Economics. Undergraduate students can expect references to current global events to illustrate course content. [Read more…]

New Faces 2025: Assistant Professor Christoph Semken

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Portrait of Assistant Professor Christoph Semken
Assistant Professor of Economics Christoph Semken

Assistant Professor Christoph Semken began his appointment at the Department of Economics on 1 July 2025. Professor Semken’s research at the intersection of environmental, behavioural and applied economics has already taken him to the   He earned his PhD at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona in 2024.

Semken was attracted to the University of Toronto by its strong and diverse academic community.

“The Department of Economics is particularly exciting to me for its breadth across fields, which aligns well with my research that uses methods from applied microeconomics, behavioral economics, industrial organization, theory, and Bayesian statistics,” Professor Semken said. “I was also drawn by the department’s growing focus on climate economics and its potential to become a global leader in this area. UofT offers rich opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, including with climate scientists.”

Scheduled to teach Environmental Economics and Policies, the undergraduate course ECO313, and ECO2950, Environmental Economics at the graduate level, students in both courses will learn within the context of immediate environmental issues using a variety of methods and tools. [Read more…]

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