Nabila Rahman Biju

Courses at Berea College

• ECO 301Intermediate MacroeconomicsMacroeconomic models, growth, and the connection between equations, diagrams, and economic mechanisms.
• ECO 332Money and BankingMoney, financial institutions, bank balance sheets, monetary policy, and evidence-based policy research.
• ECO 402Time Series EconometricsInaugural offering · Spring 2026R-based data exploration, forecasting, model selection, reproducible analysis, and an independent project with oral defense.
• ECO 401Panel Data MethodsScheduled · Spring 2027Developing the inaugural panel-data econometrics course as part of Berea’s advanced quantitative sequence.
• ECO 341Development EconomicsEconomic growth and development, evaluation of empirical evidence, and policy questions across countries and sectors.
• ECO 101Principles of MacroeconomicsFoundational macroeconomic reasoning, national economies, and the use of data to examine economic policy.
• ECO 102Principles of MicroeconomicsMarkets, incentives, firm behavior, and applications to products and services students investigate.
• GSTR 410What Is Money?An interdisciplinary senior seminar exploring money through reading, discussion, independent research questions, and argument.
• GSTR 410Human MigrationEarlier offeringA senior seminar in contemporary global issues.

Curriculum and program development

I was one of three faculty members who developed and launched Berea’s new STEM-designated B.S. in Quantitative Economics. Together, we completed the curricular proposal and institutional administrative approval process. The program offers General, Mathematics, Finance, and Data Analysis concentrations.

I developed its advanced econometrics sequence: the inaugural Time Series Econometrics course, taught in Spring 2026, and the inaugural Panel Data Methods course, scheduled for Spring 2027. I also helped establish EconGames as a quarter-credit course.

Teaching approach

Understanding before procedure. Equations, diagrams, code, and prose should express a coherent argument. I ask students to explain why a model or method fits the question, rather than treating a correct calculation as the end of the task.

Support toward independence. Guided practice, staged research assignments, and explicit criteria help students approach demanding material. The goal is increasingly independent judgment—not permanent reliance on a template.

Evidence and intellectual ownership. Student-selected questions, presentations, and oral defense make reasoning visible. Students are expected to distinguish a persuasive claim from one the evidence actually supports.

Advising and student research

Since joining Berea in 2023, I have provided academic advising and labor supervision. I mentor students through course planning, research, professional presentations, and participation in the economics community.

I currently mentor six economics majors in research, including work emerging from the URCPP project. I also helped a student refine a paper and prepare a presentation that received the student best-paper award at the October 2026 Kentucky Economic Association conference; the underlying research originated in her Virginia Tech internship.

EconGames

For three competition years, I co-advised Berea’s EconGames program with Volker Grzimek. We led weekly preparation, taught the quarter-credit course, accompanied students to the competition, and coordinated program logistics. In 2026, the students won Berea’s first championship, placing first among 30 teams from 29 universities.

International teaching: Germany, summer 2027

In summer 2027, I am scheduled to co-teach and lead Berea students in Germany with Volker Grzimek through Berea International Summer Term (BIST). Preparation includes academic planning, pre-departure student preparation, and travel coordination.

Earlier teaching and recognition

At the University of Houston, I taught Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics in in-person and online formats. I received the Department of Economics’ Best Graduate Instructor award in 2022. My teaching-assistant experience included graduate Economic Forecasting and Advanced Microeconomics, as well as Panel Data and IV Regression and International Monetary Economics.

Service

I serve on Berea’s Academic Program Council (APC), Campus Hearing Committee (listed publicly as the Campus Conduct Hearing Board), and URCPP Committee. I am also a faculty co-advisor to the Muslim Student Association.

My professional service includes membership on the Kentucky Economic Association board and chairing a session at its October 2026 annual conference.

Professional development

Selected for a Berea faculty cloud-computing fellowship involving NOAA collaboration through Entrepreneurship for the Public Good. Planned work connects cloud-computing applications with the Spring 2027 panel-data course.