Professor Isabella Dobrescu
- Ph.D. (Economics) with Honors, University of Padua, September 2009听
- M.Sc. (Economic Mathematical Modeling) Summa cum Laude, West University of Timisoara, August 2005
- B.A. (Economics) Nottingham Trent University, July 2003
- B.A. (Finance) Summa cum Laude, West University of Timisoara, June 2003
Isabella's interests are in labour, public finance, health and applied econometrics.听She has primarily focused her structural work on topics related to consumption and saving dynamics, as well as studying risk-taking and cognition via nonparametric partial identification methods.听More recently, she听combines theory, empirical analysis and randomised controlled trials to help design interventions that aim to improve educational outcomes using technology.
Isabella is also the Deputy Head of the School of Economics, co-chair of the initiative in Education, a Associate Investigator, and an editor of the Journal of Pension Economics & Finance ().
For up-to-date information on research and publications, visit .
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2023-24
- STEP UP: Playconomics Financial Literacy High School Outreach鈥 Program [with Motta] Total funding: AU$650,000听听听
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2022
- 麻豆社madou School of Economics and 麻豆社madou Business School, 鈥淪TEP UP: Playconomics Financial Literacy High School Outreach鈥 Program [with Motta] Total funding: AU$80,000听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School Research Impact Award Total funding: AU$2,000
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2021
- 麻豆社madou Business School Strategy Knowledge Hub, 鈥淓conomics of Education鈥 [with Holden, Piccoli, Motta, Muir,听Sahlberg, Walker] Total funding: AU$770,000听听听
- Romanian Ministry of Research & Innovation, 鈥淒rivers of depositors鈥 behaviour: Socio-economic drivers, regulatory changes and the impact of crisis events鈥 PN-III-P4-ID-PCE- 2020-0929 [with Andries, Tofan, Nistor, Moldovan] Total funding: AU$391,246 (RON1,198,032)
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2020
- ARC Linkage, 鈥淏etter communication to solve the under-saving, under-spending puzzle鈥 [with Bateman, Thorp, Newell] Total funding: AU$392,445
- 麻豆社madou President鈥檚 Award for Collaboration [with Motta] Total funding: AU$5,000
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2019
- 麻豆社madou Business School, 鈥淔inancial Wellbeing in Retirement: Evaluating Cbus鈥 Retirement Income Estimate (RIE) campaigns鈥 [with Bateman, Newell, Thorp] Total funding: AU$40,000
- 麻豆社madou Business School Breakthrough / PVC-E / CEPAR, 鈥淕ood Decisions in Education: The Smart Tech & Education Program (STEP UP)鈥 [with Motta, Holden, King] Total funding: AU$105,000
- 麻豆社madou Business School Strategy 2020 Network, 鈥淏ig Data Modelling for Policy Evaluation鈥 [with Doiron, Fiebig, Kohn, Panchenko] Total funding: AU$25,000
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2018听听听听
- 麻豆社madou Scientia Academy, 鈥淲hat works in Education: A series of experiments鈥 [with Motta] Total funding: AU$15,000
- 麻豆社madou Business School Strategy 2020 Network, 鈥淏ig Data Modelling for Policy Evaluation鈥 [with Doiron, Fiebig, Kohn, Panchenko] Total funding: AU$25,000
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2017听听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School Strategy 2020 Network, 鈥淏ig Data Modelling for Policy Evaluation鈥 [with Doiron, Fiebig, Kohn, Panchenko] Total funding: AU$25,000
- 麻豆社madou School of Economics ARC Project Booster, 鈥淓xperiential Economics: A new paradigm for experiments鈥 [with Motta] Total funding: AU$5,000
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2016听听听听
- Australian Government OLT Award for 鈥淥utstanding Contributions to Student Learning鈥 [with Motta] Total funding: AU$10,000
- ARC Centre of Excellence Scheme, 鈥淐entre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research 鈥 CEPAR II鈥 [Associate Investigator] Total funding: AU$27.2MIL
- 麻豆社madou Business School Silver Star Award, 鈥淗ealth, wealth, care and social networks in old age鈥 [with Motta] Total funding: AU$20,000
- 麻豆社madou Business School Strategy 2020 Network, 鈥淏ig Data Modelling for Policy Evaluation鈥 [with Doiron, Fiebig, Kohn, Panchenko] Total funding: AU$25,000
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2015听听听听
- ARC Linkage, 鈥淪uper Financial Security: Improving Flexibility, Trust and Communication鈥 [with Ortmann, Bateman, Thorp, Newell] Total funding: AU$355,000
- 麻豆社madou Business School Strategy 2020 Network, 鈥淏ig Data Modelling for Policy Evaluation鈥 [with Doiron, Fiebig, Kohn, Panchenko] Total funding: AU$25,000
- CEPAR, 鈥淲ealth decumulation in old age鈥. Total funding: AU$15,000
- 麻豆社madou BizLab, 鈥淟essons from Experiential Economics鈥 [with Motta] Total funding: AU$10,000
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2014听听听听
- CEPAR, 鈥淏equest motives in a life-cycle model with intergenerational interactions鈥. Total funding: AU$7,000
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2013听听听听
- CEPAR, 鈥淭he Impact of Social Activities on Cognitive Ageing: Evidence from 11 European Countries鈥. Total funding: AU$7,000
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2012听听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School 麻豆社madou, Learning and Teaching Grant [with Motta]. Total funding: AU$36,000
- SG 麻豆社madou, 鈥淓arly life conditions and financial risk-taking in older age鈥. Total funding: AU$6,000
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2011听听听听
- ARC Linkage, 鈥淩econnecting and Engaging Superannuation Fund Members鈥 [with Ortmann, Bateman, Thorp, Newell]. Total funding: AU$297,720
- ITIP 麻豆社madou, 鈥淪imulated Economy Serious Games鈥 [with Motta]. Total funding: AU$73,700
- ASBRG 麻豆社madou, 鈥淰oting on alternative health care reforms: How do the elderly decide?鈥 Total funding: AU$22,000
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2010 听听听
- ASBRG 麻豆社madou, 鈥淪taying home or dining out? Social interactions and old-age consumption profiles鈥. Total funding: AU$21,000
2021听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School Research Impact Award
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2019听听听
- 麻豆社madou President鈥檚 Award for Building Collaborations
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2017听听听
- 麻豆社madou Scientia Education Fellowship
- Wharton Business School Social Sciences Gold Medal Reimagine Education International Awards
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2016听听听
- Australian Government Office of Learning & Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
- 麻豆社madou Business School John Prescott Outstanding Innovation Award
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2015听听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School Silver Star Award for Research
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2014听听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School Non-professorial Research Achievement Award
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2013听听听听
- 麻豆社madou Business School 2013 Outstanding Technology-Enabled Teaching Innovation Award
- University of New South Wales 2013 Innovation Award (top 3 finalist)
- University of New South Wales听 Vice-Chancellor Award for Excellence in the Use of Learning & Teaching Technologies
- University of New South Wales听Heinz Harant Award for Teaching Innovation
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2012听听听听
- ARC Early Career Research Fellowship
Selected reads:
Cultural context in standardized tests, with Holden, Motta, Piccoli, Roberts and Walker
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The Sydney Morning Herald , The Money , NSW Department of Education
What Makes a Critic Tick? Connected Authors and the Determinants of Book Reviews, with Motta and Luca
- The Sydney Morning Herald , The Guardian , NBC News , TechCrunch , Digital Trends , BusinessThink@麻豆社madou
Why Aren't Developed Countries Saving?听with Motta and Kotlikoff
- The Sydney Morning Herald , Yale Economic Review , BusinessThink@麻豆社madou
As Easy as Pie: How Retirement Savers Use Prescribed Investment Disclosures,听with Bateman, Newell, Ortmann and Thorp
- The Australian , BusinessThink@麻豆社madou
Just Interested or Getting Involved? An Analysis of Superannuation Attitudes and Actions,听with Bateman, Deetlefs, Newell, Ortmann and Thorp
- Investment Magazine on
Retirement Savings: A Tale of Decisions and Defaults,听with Fan, Bateman, Newell, Ortmann and Thorp
- BusinessThink@麻豆社madou
Flicking the switch: Simplifying disclosure to improve retirement plan choices,听with Bateman, Newell, Ortmann and Thorp
- The Conversation
Selected reads on Playconomics:
- Sydney Morning Herald , The Australian , Uniken@麻豆社madou , BusinessThink@麻豆社madou
My Research Supervision
Miguel Lorca Espinoza (麻豆社madou)
Huyen Hoang (麻豆社madou)
Trang Le (麻豆社madou)
Victoria Hoang (University of Sydney)
My Teaching