Professor Nicole Simpson Publishes New Textbook Edition and Research on Remittances

Professor of Economics Nicole Simpson and her coauthors, Cynthia Bansak and Madeline Zavodny, have released the third edition of The Economics of Immigration, a widely used undergraduate textbook that equips students with the tools to analyze migration and immigration policy. The book examines the economic determinants of migration and its impacts on labor markets, public finances, trade, and growth, while also addressing topics such as remittances, brain drain, and immigrant assimilation within a global policy context. By integrating theory with empirical evidence, the text prepares students to engage in informed policy debates. Professor Simpson regularly teaches Economics of Immigration at Colgate.

In addition, the winter 2026 edition of Colgate Research highlights a recent paper by Professor Simpson, published in International Economics, examining remittance flows from the United States to developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzes how U.S.-specific shocks such as changes in unemployment and mortality affected remittance flows to emerging markets. It finds that remittances declined sharply in response to these shocks but rebounded within one to two months, enhancing our understanding of the impacts of the U.S. economic response to the pandemic on countries that rely heavily on remittance inflows from the United States.