Lindsay Relihan is an Assistant Professor of Economics and part of the Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program at Purdue University's Mitchell E. Daniels School of Business. She comes to Purdue from the London School of Economics. She earned her PhD at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Her research focuses on understanding how the spatial distribution of firms and consumers shape their interactions in local consumer and credit markets. "In my research, I explore spatial dynamics by developing economic models that illustrate the key mechanisms of interest and motivate empirical strategies that I take to data. I explore them by combining economic models with big data to provide new insights into the functioning of local markets. One major theme focuses on the implications of the rise of online retail for consumer and producer welfare and the future of cities. A second major theme deals with spatial effects in residential and commercial mortgage markets."
Her philosophy for teaching is: "I think the most valuable skill economics and finance professors can develop in their students, regardless of their future in a related field, is an ability to think critically about the incentives and systemic forces that lead to individual actions and outcomes. Understanding such dynamics can lead to better diagnosis and action to address important problems at every scale, from filling out a mortgage application to voting on a school redistricting plan to supporting changes in immigration policy. Thus, I hope my students will be better participants in civic society and not just subject to the forces around them."
