Rachel Van Dalinda, a student in the Leon Hess Business School (LHBS), and Tjeerd Boonman, Ph.D., McMullen Family Professor in Economics, recently presented their research at the 51st Annual Northeast Business and Economics Association (NBEA) conference in Danbury, CT.
Van Dalinda was one of four students honored at the conference, earning a scholarship award. Their paper, “Green Muni Bonds in New Jersey, 2015-2024,” which examines green municipal bonds in New Jersey, was also selected for publication in the Conference Proceedings.
“Presenting our findings at the NBEA conference was a unique opportunity to share our work and connect with professionals in similar fields. Listening to the other presentations allowed me to broaden my understanding of the financial world and explore topics that were entirely new to me. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to attend this conference and for the scholarship that made it possible,” Van Dalinda said.
Their research explores how municipalities use proceeds from these bonds to finance projects that deliver environmental benefits, as well as discussing the motivation and impact of the bonds and if municipalities measure and communicate their impact.
Van Dalinda began working on the project as a research assistant through the LHBS Business Council summer research grant. Following the successful presentation, Van Dalinda and Boonman plan to continue work on their research before submitting to an academic journal.
“As a student, this research project has been incredibly rewarding both academically and professionally. By studying New Jersey’s green municipal bonds, I have been exposed to a whole new side of finance. I have also learned how to analyze and interpret bond market data, while gaining hands-on experience with the Bloomberg Terminal,” Van Dalinda said.
