Undergraduate Programs | Knee Regulatory Research Center

The Knee Center is excited to offer an array of different undergraduate opportunities! We specialize in economic research that explores how regulatory barriers affect human flourishing in three main topic areas. Our programs aim to introduce undergraduate students to the core principles and ideas of a free society.

Recurring Undergraduate Opportunities:

Reading Groups

The Knee Center’s Freedom and Flourishing Reading Groups introduce undergraduate students to the ideas that undergird a free society and encourage human flourishing. To that end, we read books and articles that will introduce students to the ideas of free market thinkers and critics. Our goal is to create a space where inquisitive students can explore and discuss new ideas. After all, it’s only through dialogue that we can discover what do don’t know and improve on what we do.

OPEN CALL: Applications are now open for the Spring Undergraduate Reading Group. Apply Here by November 7^th.

Spring Undergraduate Reading Group: The reading group will be held every other Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30. We will be reading Jim Otteson's What Adam Smith Knew: Moral Lessons on Capitalism from Its Greatest Champions and Fiercest Opponents. The book is a primary document reader in which the greatest supporters of capitalism and its greatest critics debate the merits of the system. There will be six discussion sessions over the course of the semester. Food from a variety of restaurants will be provided. Successful completion of this reading group (attendance and participation in all 6 sessions) will earn the participant a $250 scholarship that will be applied to their student account. The reading load will be around 50 pages each session.

Special Topic Colloquiums

The Knee Center, in conjunction with partners, is happy to offer special topic colloquiums in which exceptional students are invited to participate in half day discussions over a variety of readings pertaining to a specific topic. These range from colloquiums on specific types of regulation to broader topics about free enterprise. As with our reading groups, our goal is to create a space where inquisitive students can explore and discuss new ideas and where we can all learn from one another.

OPEN CALL: Applications are now open for the Seminar on Black Entrepreneurship and Flourishing. Apply Here by November 7^th.

Seminar on Black Entrepreneurship and Freedom: In collaboration with the American Institute for Economic Research, the Knee Center will host this seminar on Saturday, February 21^stfrom 8am-3pm. We will be reading a series of short articles and book chapters that delve into the efforts of black Americans to overcome state sanctioned discrimination. The readings will be a mixture of primary and secondary sources. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and participants will receive a $50 gift card from the AIER.

Knee Undergraduate Fellows

The Knee Center specializes in producing cutting edge research on a wide variety of topics including occupational licensing, scope of practice, regulatory reform, economic freedom, and free enterprise. The Center has capacity to support exceptional undergraduates who want to hone their skills in a variety of capacities including research, event planning, marketing, and data collection. The Knee Undergraduate Fellows will be paired with a faculty or staff member who will work with them to develop a role within the Knee Center that caters to their interests and skills.

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If you are interested in applying to become a Knee Center Fellow, please click on the links below (if/when there are openings available) to apply to undergraduate positions available at the Knee Center.