Market Integration Research Lab (MIRL)

The Market Integration Research Lab (MIRL) examines the network of interconnections within markets and other economic phenomena.  Students in MIRL closely work with faculty to explore cutting edge research and use a variety of statistical techniques related to econometric connectedness, an area of expertise for MIRL Director Dr. Thomas Wiesen.  MIRL has recent and ongoing projects related to international equity markets, forecasting financial volatility, cryptocurrencies, the integration of US regions to Canada, and measures of urban influence, with the last project supported by a USDA grant.  This work has implications for measuring economic spillovers, quantifying risks, allocating asset portfolios, monitoring financial crises, and assessing the integration of regional economies.  Recent graduates of MIRL found employment/Ph.D. program placements at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Houston, the University of Connecticut, and EDP Renewables.