Quantitative Economist | Data Infrastructure | Panel Econometrics | Python · SQL · DuckDB · Stata

I build research-grade data systems for messy administrative datasets and use them to study higher-education finance, student aid, college pricing, and macroeconomic questions.

I hold an MA in Quantitative Business Economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. My work sits across economics, data engineering, empirical research, and technical communication.

I build reproducible pipelines that turn difficult source data into usable longitudinal datasets.

• Built institution-year data infrastructure across 20 years of NCES/IPEDS Access databases
• Produced a 141,711-row × 1,864-column panel with 39/39 QA checks passed
• Panelized 25+ years of Federal Student Aid Title IV volume reports into research-ready award-year data
• Work primarily in Python, SQL, DuckDB, Stata, R, and Excel

My research focuses on how financing systems shape institutional behavior and student outcomes.

Current areas of work include:

• Higher-education pricing
• Financial aid packaging
• Federal cost-of-attendance policy
• Panel econometrics
• Causal inference
• Dynamic specifications
• Large-scale data validation

I am also building Macro by Mark, a live U.S. macroeconomic research platform that integrates public data and interactive tools for learning, analysis, and communication.

Reproducible Python, DuckDB, and SQL workflow for transforming raw NCES/IPEDS releases into validated institution-year panel datasets for longitudinal research.

Data pipeline for cleaning, structuring, and panelizing 25+ years of Federal Student Aid Title IV volume reports.

U.S. macroeconomic research platform built with Next.js and TypeScript, integrating sources such as FRED, BEA, BLS, Census, and World Bank.

Source code for my personal website and broader professional portfolio.

• Published “Revisiting Bennett’s Hypothesis” in Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal (2025)
• Presented research at WEAI’s 100th Annual Conference
• Produced 4 working papers on higher-education pricing, financial aid packaging, and federal cost-of-attendance policy
• Contributed to the development of the UNLV Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

At UNLV, I supported instruction across economics, statistics, econometrics, and senior capstone research.

• Delivered lectures and review sessions for 200+ students per semester
• Built lecture materials and quantitative course support resources
• Held high-volume office hours and one-on-one mentoring
• Mentored 10 undergraduate researchers through end-to-end empirical projects

• Expanding longitudinal research infrastructure for higher-education data
• Building public-facing macroeconomic analysis tools
• Strengthening the connection between rigorous research and accessible communication

• Website: markjayson.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markjaysonfarol
• Email: markjayson@markjayson.com

Open to Economist, Research Analyst, Data Analyst, and Financial Analyst roles, including remote, hybrid, and relocation opportunities.