In her research, Kevyn O’Connell focuses on micro- and macroeconomics, econometrics, and global economic policy. She pays particular attention to long-term growth factors and the role of structural competitiveness—an area she wishes to explore in greater detail within the context of the Slovenian economy. Kevyn recently earned her Master’s degree in Economics from the Barcelona School of Economics, specializing in international trade, finance, and development. Her master’s thesis, published in the university’s public repository, analyzed the impact of foreign aid on public health expenditures in recipient countries using fixed-effects and non-parametric identification strategies. Prior to that, she graduated with honors in Economics from McMaster University and completed a summer internship at Zurich Insurance.

Before her postgraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant in the International Economic Analysis Department at the Bank of Canada. Her work included applying text analysis methods to central bank communications, constructing counterfactual paths for household savings in post-pandemic Europe, and evaluating the forecasting performance of the US Federal Reserve.

Kevyn is especially looking forward to joining the ASEF fellowship program, as both of her maternal grandparents were born in Slovenia before immigrating to Canada. She is also a member of the Slovenian Home in Toronto and views the fellowship as an opportunity to reconnect with her family heritage and contribute to the Slovenian academic community. Having grown up in Australia and Malaysia, she is also excited to connect with students and scholars from around the world. Outside of her research work, Kevyn enjoys skiing and rock climbing.