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Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
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ATLANTA — Augustine Denteh (Ph.D. ’18) never planned to be an economist. When Denteh applied to the University of Ghana for his undergraduate degree, business administration was his first choice for a major, but the university’s allocation system meant students who didn’t secure their top choice were assigned their second preference.
For Denteh, that meant economics and statistics — a field he knew little about.
He would soon discover a passion that would take him across continents and, eventually, to Georgia State University.
Today, Denteh is an assistant professor at Davidson College in North Carolina where he specializes in applying statistical tools to solve complex economic problems in healthcare and nutrition assistance programs.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Denteh earned his master’s degree in economics at The University of Akron in Ohio. When it was time to pursue a Ph.D., Georgia State caught his eye thanks to the highly ranked Experimental Economics Center directed by Professor James C. Cox, the Noah Langdale Jr. Chair in Economics, whose work Denteh had been closely following.
“Georgia State truly welcomed me as an international student and presented me with opportunities to not only learn, but grow personally and professionally,” Denteh said. “This, alongside their highly ranked economics program, solidified the fact that Georgia State was the right choice for me.”
During his time at Georgia State, Denteh worked closely with professors Rusty Tchernis and Pierre Nguimkeu, serving as a graduate assistant for both. Tchernis later became his dissertation chair. In his third year, Denteh worked as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, further broadening his experience and network.
Denteh also received several grants and awards as a student, including the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS) Excellence in Teaching Economics Award in 2017, the American Economic Association Summer Program Outstanding Teaching Fellow Award and the Jack Blicksilver Scholarship, which supported his research and recognized his contributions to the field of economics.
After earning his doctor’s degree, Denteh’s career took off rapidly. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy, followed by a five-year stint as an assistant professor at Tulane University. Recently, he joined Davidson College, attracted by its balance of research and teaching opportunities, as well as its proximity to a research data center crucial for his work.
His research focuses on applying innovative econometric tools to study how public policies affect people’s health, in particular, the economics of obesity and food and nutrition programs.
Outside of his research, Denteh busies himself with volunteer work. In 2019, he co-founded the Ghana Data Science Summit, also called IndabaX Ghana. The annual conference builds capacity in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Since its inception, it has partnered with local Ghanian universities to bring over 1,500 participants to learn and network on ways to leverage data science in their professional careers.
“Network early, be open minded and attend career fairs because your connections matter,” Denteh advises students. “Sometimes the most transformative paths are the ones you don’t plan.”
To learn more about all of the top-ranked in-person and online economics degree programs available at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, visit its website and follow the department on LinkedIn.
— By AYSPS Graduate Student Assistant Ayomidotun Olugbenle (M.A. in Communication)