AJ Sumell

Dr. AJ Sumell - profile photo

Dr. AJ Sumell

Professor

Lariccia School of Accounting & Finance

Williamson Hall 3376

phone: (330) 941-1678

ajsumell@ysu.edu

Bio

AJ Sumell is a Professor of Economics at Youngstown State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University with a specialization in Urban Economics. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate-level Microeconomic Theory, Urban Economics, Sports Economics, and Environmental Economics courses. He has authored or co-authored 13 academic publications, including in Economies, Journal of Economic Education, Housing Studies, Journal of Housing Research, and Economic Development Quarterly, presented at more than 25 academic conferences or invited talks, and conducted more than 80 interviews with local, national, and international media, and serves on the Board of Directors for CASTLO Community Improvement Corporation. He was awarded a YSU Distinguished Professorship Award for Teaching in 2011 and a YSU Distinguished Professorship Award for Service in 2017 and 2022. When not working, he can typically be found playing tennis, soccer, or Mario Kart with his daughters Scarlett Marie and Lillian Rose.

Research Interests

Urban Economics, Economics Education, Housing Economics, Public Policy

Teaching Interests

Urban Economics, Environmental Economics, Microeconomics, Sports Economics

  • 2005

    Ph D, Economics

    Georgia State University

  • 2003

    MA, Economics

    Georgia State University

  • 1999

    BA, Economics

    Salisbury State University

  • 2022

    YSU

    Distinguished Professorship in Service

  • 2018

    YSU

    Distinguished Professorship in Service

  • 2012

    YSU

    Distinguished Professorship Award in the Area of Teaching

  • 2023

    "The drug overdose death epidemic: evidence from U.S. Counties"

    T. Ovaska, A. Sumell, Y. Uppal

    Applied Economic Letters

  • 2021

    "A cultural comparison of mindfulness and student performance: Evidence from students in five countries"

    A. Sumell, E. Chiang, S. Koch, E. Mangeloja, J. Sun, J. Pedussel Wu

    International Review of Economics Education, volume 37, issue 3

  • 2020

    "Overdose Deaths and Entrepreneurial Activity"

    A. Sumell

    Economies, volume 8, issue 1

  • 2019

    "Are your students absent, not absent, or present? Mindfulness and student performance"

    E. Chiang, A. Sumell

    The Journal of Economic Education, volume 50, issue 107

  • 2017

    "Increase Interest in Compound Interest: Economic Growth and Personal Finance"

    T. Ovaska, A. Sumell

    Journal of Economics and Finance Education, volume 16, issue 2

  • 2017

    "Increase Interest in Compound Interest: Economic Growth and Personal Finance"

    T. Ovaska, A. Sumell

    Journal of Economics and Finance Education, volume 16, issue 2, p. 85-97

  • 2016

    "Fracturing and Foreclosure: A study of shale gas development and foreclosure levels in Pennsylvania."

    A. Sumell

    Housing Studies, volume 16, issue 2

  • 2014

    "Who Has the Advantage? An Economic Exploration of Winning in Men’s Professional Tennis"

    T. Ovaska, A. Sumell

    The American Economist, volume 59, issue 1

  • 2011

    "The Effect of Tax Structure on Government Size: Evidence from the OECD"

    T. Ovaska, A. Sumell

    Pennsylvania Economic Review, volume 18, issue 1

  • 2010

    "Employment Growth and Spatial Concentration in Indonesia"

    A. Sumell, F. Arze del Granado

    Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, volume 16, issue 3

  • 2009

    "Capturing Knowledge: The Location Decisions of New PhDs Working in Industry"

    A. Sumell, P. Stephan, J. Adams

    University of Chicago Press for National Bureau of Economic Research, p. 257-287

  • 2009

    "The Determinants of Foreclosed Property Values: Evidence from Inner City Cleveland"

    A. Sumell

    Journal of Housing Research, volume 18, issue 1

  • 2025 - present

    Board Member
    Thrive Mahoning Valley

  • 2018 - present

    Board Member
    CASTLO Community Improvement

Photograph of Albert Sumell, professor of Economics

Education

  • Ph.D. in Economics (2005)
    Georgia State University, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Atlanta, GA
  • M.A. in Economics (2003)
    Georgia State University, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Atlanta, GA
  • B.A. in Economics (1999)
    Salisbury State University, Salisbury, MD

Research Areas

Urban and Regional Economics, Housing Economics, Economics Education, Public Policy

Publications

  • “Increase Interest in Compound Interest: Economic Growth and Personal Finance” (with Tomi Ovaska). Journal of Economics and Finance Education, 2017, 16: 2, 85 – 97.
  • “Fracturing and Foreclosure: A study of shale gas development and foreclosure levels in Pennsylvania.” Housing Studies, 2016, 31: 4, 445- 462.
  • “Who Has the Advantage? An Economic Exploration of Winning in Men’s Professional Tennis.” (with Tomi Ovaska). The American Economist, 2014, LIX: 1, 34 – 51.
  • “A Model of International Student Selection of a U.S. Ph.D. Institution” (with Esra Tanyildiz). Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, 2011, 25: 4, 315 - 335.
  • “The Effect of Tax Structure on Government Size: Evidence from the OECD” (with Tomi Ovaska). Pennsylvania Economic Review, 2011, 18: 1, 24 – 36.
  • “Employment Growth and Spatial Concentration in Indonesia” (with Javier Arze), Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, 2010, 16: 3. 165 – 186.
  • “The Determinants of Foreclosed Property Values: Evidence from Inner City Cleveland” Journal of Housing Research, 2009, 18: 1, 45-61.
  • “Capturing Knowledge: The Location Decisions of New PhDs Working in Industry” (with Paula Stephan and James Adams), Science and Engineering Careers in the United States, Richard B. Freeman and Daniel F. Goroff (eds), Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press for National Bureau of Economic Research, 2009, 257-287.
  • “Who’s Patenting in the University? Evidence from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients” (with Paula Stephan, Shiferaw Gurmu, and Grant Black), Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 2007, 16: 2, 71-99.
  • “Firm Placements of New Ph.D.s: Implications for Knowledge Transfer” (with Paula Stephan, Grant Black, and James Adams), The Role of Labour Mobility and Informal Networks for Knowledge Transfer, edited by Dirk Fornahl, C. Zellner and D.B. Audretsch. Spring Verlag. New York, 2005, 125-146.
  • “Doctoral Education and Economic Development: The Flow of New Ph.D.s to Industry” (with Paula Stephan, Grant Black, and James Adams), Economic Development Quarterly, 2004, 18: 2, 151-167.
  • “A cultural comparison of mindfulness and student performance: Evidence from students in five countries” International Review of Economics Education. 2021, 37: 3.
  • “Overdose Deaths and Entrepreneurial Activity” Economies. 2020, 8: 1, 23-33.
  • “Are your students absent, not absent, or present? Mindfulness and student performance” Journal of Economic Education. 2019, 50: 1, 1-16.