{"id":927,"date":"2026-04-22T12:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T12:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/?p=927"},"modified":"2026-04-22T12:19:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T12:19:00","slug":"beyond-the-numbers-dr-ronia-hawashs-approach-to-economics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/2026\/04\/22\/beyond-the-numbers-dr-ronia-hawashs-approach-to-economics\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Numbers: Dr. Ronia Hawash\u2019s Approach to Economics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr. Ronia Hawash<\/a>\u2019s understanding of economics didn\u2019t begin in a classroom; it began in the everyday rhythms of life in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, she was surrounded by visible contrasts. Families worked tirelessly, doing everything they could to get ahead, yet many still struggled. Access to healthcare was inconsistent. Educational opportunities were uneven. The systems meant to support people didn\u2019t always reach those who needed them most. For Dr. Hawash, those realities weren\u2019t distant observations \u2013 they were impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They sparked a question that would shape her life\u2019s work: why do systems work for some, but fail for others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That question led Dr. Hawash to economics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She began her academic journey at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in economics, before continuing to the American University in Cairo for her master\u2019s. Later, she moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in economics at Indiana University Indianapolis \u2013 an experience that would further expand both her academic lens and her worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time she arrived in the U.S., she was navigating both academic and cultural shifts, learning new norms around communication, privacy, and expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a gradual transition,\u201d she reflects. \u201cBut what stood out to me most was how welcoming people were. They wanted to understand my background. There was warmth to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living within two different economic systems also shaped how she understood inequality. Egypt\u2019s more centralized structure and the United States\u2019 capitalist model might suggest vastly different outcomes. But what surprised her most was how similar most challenges remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInequality in the United States is very high,\u201d she says. \u201cAs high as many developing countries. That was shocking to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Dr. Hawash, it reinforced a deeper truth: economic outcomes aren\u2019t determined by systems along, but by how societies choose to support their most vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, as an Associate Professor of Economics at the Lacy School of Business, where she has been teaching since 2017, and as Faculty Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Hawash brings that perspective into both her research and her leadership \u2013 ensuring students don\u2019t just learn economics, but understand its responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across topics like poverty, health, education, political conflict, refugees, and climate change, one thread connects her work: vulnerability. She is especially focused on populations that are often left behind, particularly women and children, whose experiences are frequently shaped by overlapping challenges and systemic gaps. This focus is reflected in her broader body of research, including \u201cVoiceless and Stateless Rohingya Refugees: Competing Expectations Among NGOs in Cox\u2019s Bazar, Bangladesh<\/em>\u201d (Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations<\/a>), which highlights how humanitarian systems can unintentionally overlook the needs of women and individuals with disabilities \u2013 further compounding existing inequities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commitment to understanding and addressing systemic gaps extends into her research: in \u201cThe Role of Women\u2019s Empowerment on Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-Country Analysis<\/em>,\u201d published in the Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability<\/a> (January 2025), Dr. Hawash explores the connection between women\u2019s political empowerment and environmental outcomes across 135 countries. The study finds that countries with higher levels of women\u2019s political participation tend to have lower CO\u2082 emissions, especially in developing nations \u2013 highlighting that empowering women in political leadership is a proven pathway to stronger environmental policy and more sustainable futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an empirical economist, her work is grounded in data and rigorous analysis. But she is intentional about never losing sight of the human stories behind the numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery data point is a person,\u201d she says. \u201cA person with a story, a struggle, a family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That perspective has changed how she approaches her work and what she expects from it. For Dr. Hawash, research must go beyond observation. It must be meaningful, actionable, and capable of driving change \u2013 something she actively models for students interested in policy, global development, and mission-driven careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the classroom, those insights come to life in a different way. Students often enter their first economics course expecting graphs, formulas, and conversations about money. Dr. Hawash meets them there but doesn\u2019t let them stay there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEconomics isn\u2019t about making money,\u201d she tells them. \u201cIt\u2019s about understanding how the world works and how to make better decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She brings theory to life through stories \u2013 real examples from her own experiences and observations. For many students, it\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve encountered the realities of life in a developing country beyond a textbook. It shifts the conversation from abstract concepts to human impact, helping them see how their future careers can influence real people and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can see it,\u201d she says. \u201cTheir eyes light up when it becomes real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her classroom is built on engagement, curiosity, and respect. When conversations turn to complex or emotionally charged topics, she emphasizes that no single perspective holds all the answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all come from different backgrounds,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a perfect policy or a completely right or wrong viewpoint. What matters is understanding each other and respecting different points of view.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her role as Faculty Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she works to ensure that students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds feel they belong and have a voice in shaping the community. From launching peer mentorship initiatives to creating spaces where people can share their cultures and experiences, her focus is on building connection and inclusion in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her dedication to student impact and inclusion has been recognized with the 2024 Student Impact Award. Over the past 1.5 years, she has collaborated with students on Diversity Perspective Workshops, integrating her research and leadership to create spaces for meaningful dialogue and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Dr. Hawash hopes students leave her classroom with more than knowledge. She wants them to carry curiosity, confidence, and a sense of responsibility \u2013 to understand that their decisions matter and that they have the ability to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of her academic and leadership roles, Dr. Hawash is deeply connected to the things that bring her joy. She loves singing and once dreamed of becoming a radio presenter \u2013 a passion for voice and storytelling that still shows up in how she teaches. She hopes to one day start a podcast centered on personal reflections, a space to connect in a different way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s also someone who values connection in its simplest forms: gathering with friends, spending time with family, and exploring new places. And when it comes to food, she smiles before answering: Middle Eastern cuisine will always be her favorite, with Indian food a very close second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through it all, the question that first drew her to economics still guides her work today. Not just understanding how systems function but how they can function better, more equitably, and more humanely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because for Dr. Hawash, economics has never been just about numbers. It\u2019s about people \u2013 and the possibility of building a world that works for all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Ronia Hawash\u2019s understanding of economics didn\u2019t begin in a classroom; it began in the everyday rhythms of life in Egypt.<\/p>\n

Growing up, she was surrounded by visible contrasts. Families worked tirelessly, doing everything they could to get ahead, yet many still struggled. Access to healthcare was inconsistent. Educational opportunities were uneven. The systems meant to support people didn\u2019t always reach those who needed them most. For Dr. Hawash, those realities weren\u2019t distant observations \u2013 they were impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n

They sparked a question that would shape her life\u2019s work: why do systems work for some, but fail for others?<\/p>\n

That question led Dr. Hawash to economics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2812,"featured_media":928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[38],"class_list":["post-927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-insights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=927"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":931,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions\/931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=927"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}