University at Buffalo (UB)
Faculty Spotlight - Sanghoon Kim
Assistant Professor Sanghoon Kim joined the Department of Economics in Fall 2019. He is an applied microeconomist focusing on industrial organization, environmental economics, and law and economics. He received his PhD from Boston University. You can find him teaching Mathematics for Economists (ECO 415 and 515), Microeconomic Theory (ECO 665), Industrial Organization (ECO 796), and the Economics of Sports (ECO 468)!
Dr Sanghoon Kim
Why did you choose economics? Why did you choose your subfield?
SK: When I first learned economics in high school, it was quite intuitive. The economic agent described in textbooks behaved like I did. So, I could predict what textbooks would say about the economic agent’s behavior by envisioning mine. However, the economics I learned as an undergraduate was a little bit different. I recognized that there is a more rigorous theoretical basis in economics, while it still had the same intuition that I learned before and have in my mind. So, I chose to study more about it, especially microeconomics, which studies the behavior of individuals and their interaction in markets.
What research are you working on right now?
SK: I am working on a couple of projects. One of them studies a mechanism for regulating carbon emission and incentivizing firms to invest in sustainable carbon-free technology development. In a separate project, I study machine learning applications in regression analysis.
What was your favorite paper to write, and why?
SK: My favorite paper is “Informed Agent’s Advice: Theory and Evidence.” It studies how an informed intermediary talks differently to buyers and sellers about market conditions when the intermediary has different interests. It was my first project that shows results in both theoretical and empirical frameworks, and I enjoyed working on it.
Fast Facts for Professor Sanghoon Kim
What is your favorite class to teach, and why?
SK: My favorite class to teach is “ECO 468 The Economics of Sports.” This course helps students to review economic models and empirical analysis tools that can be applied to study the sports industry. Students who take this course are usually sports enthusiasts, and so they are very active in class. I enjoy interacting with those students in the classroom.
What was your favorite class as an undergrad?
SK: Microeconomic theory. I could learn the theoretical basis of my choices in that course.
What is your top piece of advice for your students?
SK: Don’t be afraid of asking questions in the classroom, and always ask yourself “why?” as well. Why I am learning this and that, why I need this for that, etc.