This profile was current as of May 2022, when she was part of the on-campus Kellogg community.
Juliette Kelley is a senior economics and applied computational mathematics and statistics major currently working on a senior thesis relating to the efficacy of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governmental) funds and investments. Prior to focusing on a senior thesis, she worked with Professor Amitava Dutt on the relationship between happiness and income in developing countries. This research also encompassed topics such as conspicuous consumption and theories such as the the Easterlin Paradox and the hedonic treadmill. She also did interim work with other advisors focusing on creating a religious survey in ten developing countries and on compiling a database about the history of coffee in Africa.
Currently, Kelley is prioritizing her work on her senior thesis. Under the advisement of Professor Michael Pries, she is looking to examine how investment guidelines affect the outcomes and performance of companies that receive these investments. Kelley is especially excited to learn about the comparison of these environmental, social, and governmental impacts as compared to the impacts of nonprofits.
As a part of the Kellogg ISP program, she also worked virtually alongside a group of other Notre Dame Students in Uganda on a sustainable development project to provide microfinance access to a women’s group. This included implementing training the women on concepts such as interest and record-keeping as well as implementing a Village Savings and Loans Association Group.
Thesis Title: Efficacy of ESG Funds
I am interested in the ability of women in developing countries to access microfinance. Specifically, I am curious about how women use this access - for consumption smoothing or for business needs.
My other main research interest focuses on ESG funds/investments. I am interested in learning about whether the guidelines that govern these investments are actually effective or whether the money would be more effective going towards another source working towards similar goals.
I am starting work on my thesis, which relates to the second of the above topics. I hope to examine how the actual environmental, social, and governmental outcomes would be affected by the money flowing towards nonprofits as opposed to corporations.