Faculty spotlight: Amanda Gaulke and Rubaiyat Alam

Amanda Gaulke, associate professor of economics, has recently been featured in an impressive K-State Today article highlighting People with Purpose. Inside, you can read about Gaulke’s passion for teaching, mentoring, and research, which enhances our department’s scholarly reputation and directly impacts the formation of future scholars.

Gaulke’s research examines how health problems and access to medical treatment during childhood affect earnings and labor participation in adulthood. Danish economics and Gaulke have recently been awarded 3 million euros to study the effects of early access to diabetes treatment on earnings in adulthood. It has allowed Gaulke to spend her sabbatical year studying this topic at the University of Aarhus, while presenting her scholarly work at multiple European academic institutions.

We are proud to announce, Rubaiyat Alam as a recent addition to the Department of Economics faculty. He received his Ph.D. degree in Economics from Boston University in 2023 and currently serves as an assistant professor of economics.  

His research focuses on how public programs can affect healthcare providers' strategic choices and competition, potentially boosting quality while containing costs. For instance, he has projects on the hospice industry, focusing on quality competition, improving hospice reimbursement, and the effect of entry-exit dynamics on efficiency. Furthermore, he has a project on the pharmaceutical industry regarding the entry of generic drugs and subsequent reactions from brand drug competitors. Finally, an ongoing project studies Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and how they make decisions regarding entry, branches, and capacity.