Aaron Rivera
With the support of faculty and my fellow students, I’m exploring business analytics, marketing, psychology, philosophy and research topics that matter. And I can do it because I’m a Bluejay. Here, I’m learning to do well while doing good.
Marketing and Business Intelligence & Analytics, Heider College of Business
I chose Creighton because I knew being a student here would bring a world of opportunity. I didn’t realize one of those opportunities would involve research. I always thought research was limited to the arts and sciences, but it’s important in the business world, too.
I’m currently part of the finance research silo within the Institute of Economic Inquiry (IEI), a group that promotes critical thinking in the Heider College of Business. The silos are student-led, and throughout the semester we find research to either support or negate a chosen thesis. This semester, we’ve focused on examining carbon tax and how it affects trade. We found it doesn’t always work as intended.
Carbon taxes are meant to reduce emissions and convince producers to move away from carbon. The case studies we looked at showed when demands are inelastic, meaning they don’t lessen with price changes, the tax doesn’t successfully encourage a shift away from carbon. It simply generates more revenue for the government. Depending on how that tax revenue is used, it might not do anything to reach the initial goal. Our next step is to develop a white paper based on the research. It’s been an exciting process, and the Heider faculty members have been right there, offering constructive feedback along the way.
The process has given me a new perspective on concepts I’ve learned about in my classes—seeing how taxes are implemented sheds new light on how global markets work. It’s a great example of the opportunities you’ll find at Creighton. There’s always a way to do more and reach a little higher.
