Mona Khadem Sameni

Date: 1/18/2016

Department of Economics
885 Bolton Hall
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Dear Committee,
I was very pleased to see your announcement for a tenure-track position beginning in fall 2016. I am in the
final stages of my dissertation and will complete my Ph.D. in economics at the University of Wisconsin
Milwaukee this spring, and I believe that Simmons College would be an excellent match for my academic
background as well as my teaching and research interests and abilities. I am particularly interested in
Simmons first due to its small, but focused nature and second due to its commitment to developing
competitive technical and analytical skills in its students through academic rigor and pedagogical
innovation. Finally, I believe the decision to expose students to heterodox approaches and interdisciplinary
works can prepare them for an even broader range of academic programs or jobs.
My primary research areas are in applied microeconomics, including (but not limited to) health and labor
economics. I am specifically interested in applying various econometric models to evaluate the impacts of
work and labor market practices on individuals welfare and health behaviors. I am also investigating the
impact of health-related behaviors such as risky drinking on the individuals labor market outcomes, and
eventually the ability of public policies to control these bilateral impacts. In summer 2015, my paper, The
Relationship between Nonstandard Work Schedules and Substance Use, won the UWMs 2015 Richard
Perlman Prize for outstanding paper in labor economics, which is annually given to authors who produce
research with high quality and major contributions to the field. In my other microeconomic research
attempts, I have coauthored a paper in the railway transportation field that is currently undergoing revisions
requested by the Journal of Rail Transport Planning and Management. Also, prior to the start of my Ph.D.
studies, I coauthored a paper on internet book purchase intention models that was published in the peer
reviewed proceedings of the IAIDIS e-society conference in 2010. I am also very interested in attending
conferences, first to get feedback about my work, and second to form better research ideas
Moreover, as a doctorate student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, I have been fortunate to teach
as a lecturer or primary instructor in different environments. My teaching evaluations have always been
outstanding and I have had a number of students who were eager to take different courses with me. My
strong desire for quality teaching, reflected in evaluation scores and a statement of teaching philosophy,
which are included in a teaching portfolio attached to this application for your review, equip me with a
valuable asset for my future career as assistant professor economics. Other than the core economics courses
from the introductory to upper levels, and those in my area of specialization such as health economics and
labor economics, I am also interested in teaching industrial organization and other applied micro courses
such as education or environmental economics. Finally, I also have the background to teach business-related
courses such as managerial economics or corporate finance.
In addition to research and teaching, one prominent reason that brings me to academia is contributing to the
enjoyable life on campus. Particularly at UWM, I have always done my best to participate in activities such
as workshops and seminars either as an attendee or a presenter and have voluntarily organized the
departmental booth at the Universitys Open House events. I have also volunteered to speak for the

Universitys new teaching assistants for several years and shared my insights with them. I look forward to
enhancing this experience as an assistant professor at Simmons College.
I have enclosed a copy of my Curriculum Vitae, a teaching portfolio, and a research sample. I have arranged
for three references letters to be sent directly to your school. Any additional documents will be provided
upon request. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to talk to you regarding this application.

Sincerely,
Mona Khadem Sameni