Craig McCall

I am interested in data science research topics that lie in the intersection of agriculture, economics, and finance. For instance, I am excited about data science applications in agricultural sustainability, nutritious food pricing, and distribution network efficiency.

Before joining MIDS, I worked as an economic consultant for three years where I provided data analytics for high stakes litigation cases. My first two years were spent on consumer finance cases where I estimated damages for consumers defrauded by large credit institutions. My final year was spent on antitrust cases estimating the competitive effects of business practices and new entrants to established markets.

I graduated from Occidental College in 2019 with honors and distinction in Economics and distinction in Mathematics. I supplemented my coursework with self-directed data analysis projects and completed two original economic research projects on the food industry. My first project examined a chain of Chicago grocery stores and determined that the stores are not maximizing profit and are instead pursuing a strategy of uniform pricing. My next project examined the effect of Hurricane Mitch on the commercialization and crop specialization of a sample of Nicaraguan Farmers. Using a difference-in-differences identification strategy, I found that the Hurricane decreased farmer commercialization but had no effect on their crop specialization. After defending this paper in front of the department, I received the Outstanding Honors Economics Thesis award.

Outside of work, I like to spend most of my time outdoors biking and rock climbing.