INTRODUCTION.
Hi! My name is Thi Minh Trang Phan (preferred name: Trang Phan). I’m an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a major in Economics. My passion for Economics sparked when I took Land Use Economics and Forestry Economics. After completing my third co-op term with the Adams Lake Indian Band – Natural Resource Department, I became deeply interested in Environmental Economics and started researching on contemporary environmental issues.
Through the Undergraduate Research Experience Award Program (UREAP), I’m conducting an economic analysis on British Columbia’s caribou conservation program supervised by Dr. Tisgaris and Dr. Strantza. This project allows me to apply descriptive statistical tools and policy review analysis to provide recommendations for improving current conservation strategies.
Besides that, I’m also part of the Capstone course, supervised by Dr. Tisgaris, where we contribute research papers to a soon-to-be-published book on topics related to the Kamloops community. My paper explores how old-growth forest preservation policies can support caribou habitat recovery.
Additionally, in my Econometrics course, supervised by Dr. Mahbobi, I’m analyzing data using EViews 13, ForecastX, and Minitab to assess BC’s caribou recovery efforts. This project builds on my Forecasting in Business class and enhances my data analysis skills.
Beyond my coursework, I assist Professor Tucker with research on applying the Two-Eyed Seeing approach in higher education, broadening my perspective beyond Economics.
My research experience at TRU during the 4th year of BBA has brought me major knowledge and curiosity to the local issues such as BC old-growth forest or caribou conservation. I have effectively learned to apply and evaluate the problems using logical and scientific research skills. Below is the showcase of my research knowledge.
THE STANDARDS.
The standards below are the evidence I extract from the research courses work. Each skill I build throughout the research process will be illustrated with evidence and further explain how the standards below are met.
List of Research Courses:
ECON 4980: Capstone
Students will synthesize, sharpen, and employ knowledge from their studies to investigate complex economic, international, and/or political issues in our contemporary world in this capstone course. Students will develop a unique final project tailored to their personal and professional goals, showcasing their commitment to social responsibility, and integrating intercultural awareness about political and/or economic issues, relations, and tensions. Students will work collaboratively and communicate effectively in the presentation of their projects while showcasing possible solutions to select political, international, and/or economic issues from interdisciplinary perspectives. In examining economics and/or the politics of today, students consider how to effectively integrate and utilize their knowledge of political, international, or economic issues to generate ideas for promoting human security, global prosperity and encouraging justice and peace.
ECON 4330: Forecasting in Business and Economics
Students apply a variety of forecasting methods to solve problems in business and economics. Topics include qualitative forecasting methods; the forecasting process, data considerations, and model selection; moving averages and exponential smoothing; multiple regression and time series decomposition; Box-Jenkins methodology to fit autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH); time-varying volatility and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and vector autoregressive models; combining forecasting results; and implementing forecasting.
ECON 4320: Econmetrics
Students are introduced to econometric models and the application of classical regression techniques to estimate socio-economic relationships. Topics include an introduction to econometrics; simple linear regression; interval estimation and hypothesis testing; predictions, goodness of fit, and modeling issues; multiple regression; non-linear relationships; heteroscedasticity; dynamic models, autocorrelation, and forecasting; simultaneous equations; and qualitative dependent variables. General econometric computer software is used to reinforce course concepts.
Undergraduate Research Experience Award Program
I am also awarded for the Undergraduate Research Experience Award Program (UREAP) scholarship to start my own research in the area I am passionate about. Below is the abstract and timeline of my UREAP project focus on Economic Analysis of Caribou Conservation in British Columbia.
In Capstone course, I perform a research under Critical Policy Review: How BC old-growth forest policy help conserve caribou population? This project will evaluate current old growth forest conservation effort and how it can interlink to caribou conservation in British Columbia.
List of Evidence
Below are evidences of literature reviews and abstracts performed in UREAP project, Capstone course and Research Assistant role.
List of Evidence
ECON 4330: Forecasting BC South Mountain Caribou Population
The research project used secondary data from “Effectiveness of Population-Based Recovery Actions for Threatened Southern Mountain Caribou” by Lamb et al. (2024) to reassess and evaluate the research gap from this paper. Please review methodology, data description and empirical results sections.
ECON 4980: How BC old-growth forest policy help conserve caribou population?
The research project uses secondary data from BC of Government to create a regional population analysis and applying Taylor and Weder’s extinction model to build a caribou population model against harvesting factors. Please review section The Dynamics Of Caribou Population in Old Growth Forests and Evidence from The Cariboo Region in the file below. Please note: This is a draft product, the final Capstone Paper will be submitted on April 20th, 2025.
List of Evidence:
ECON 4330: Forecasting BC South Mountain Caribou Population
The empirical results will show how the statistic software was applied to run the data from Lamb et al. (2024). There are two econometric models, ARIMA and Multiple Regression, running in this paper to analyse caribou population trends. Their difference in methodololgy and accuracy levels will be discussed in the discussion and the conclusion section.
ECON 4980: How Preserving Old-Growth Forest Helps Conserving Caribou Population in BC?
The theoretical analysis shows how applying Taylor and Weder’s extinction model can guide a policy caribou conservation based on the effect of human and predator harvesting and logging harvesting indirect effect. Please review section Case Study: Caribou In The Itcha-Ilgachuz Region, Old Growth Forest Conservation Policies, Discussion and Recommendations, and Conclusion. Please note: This is a draft product, the final Capstone Paper will be submitted on April 20th, 2025.
List of Evidence:
ECON 4980: How Preserving Old-Growth Forest Helps Conserving Caribou Population in BC?
The research poster was presented at Thompson Rivers University Undergraduate Conference on March 26th, 2025. It was a successful event with the Capstone Class presenting our research project supervised by Dr. Tsigaris.
It is also worth noting that the paper will be published in Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment, a TRU student journal, this Fall.