Professor Ahmed’s research interests are in the areas of urban and environmental economics.  In her research she explores the potential for developing green goods markets like energy and water efficient products, organic food, green fashion and electric cars.  She considers alternative approaches ranging from standards imposed by the government to voluntary standards that firms commit to.  She shows that government regulation often result in unintended  consequences that hurt society.  She also shows instances where corporate social responsibility may not necessarily lead to better social outcomes as the underlying motives may not focus on society.  Professor Ahmed analyzes competition between firms and the impact it has on society in several contexts, for example, competition between firms to produce/ promote green goods. She also analyzes competition in the retailing sector that lead to the demise of mom and pop stores, and currently to the rise of online shopping in the age of information technology.  She is interested in technological advances and how they affect behavior and market trends. Professor Ahmed has done field work on a variety of urban challenges including urban education  and segregation, through her field work in Worcester Massachusetts. 

In the classroom Professor Ahmed teaches interesting and timely topics and encourages students to think critically and push beyond traditional boundaries. She holds students to high standards and helps them get there.   

• Ahmed, Rasha and Mark Stater (2018). “Product Differentiation in the Automobiles Market: An Empirical Analysis.” Working paper.
• Ahmed, Rasha and Mark Stater (2017). “Is Energy Efficiency Under provided? An Analysis of the provision of Energy Efficiency in Multi-Attribute Products,” Resource and Energy Economics, 49.  
• “Beef Consumption and Habit Formation: Analyzing the technology effect and induced demand.” Working paper with Zinnia Mukherjee.
• Ahmed, Rasha, Keely Stater and Mark Stater (2013). “The Effect of Poverty Status and Public Housing Residency on Residential Energy Consumption in the US,” Energy Studies Review, 21(1).
• Ahmed, Rasha, Mark Stater and Michael S. Visser (2017). “Market and Welfare Effects of Big Box Retail Entry in a Linear City Model with Oligopolistic Competition,” Annals of Economics and Statistics, 127.
• Ahmed, Rasha (2012). “Promoting Energy-Efficient Products: Voluntary or Regulatory Approaches?” Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, 14(3): 303-321.
• Ahmed, Rasha (2012). “The Design of Voluntary Environmental Programs: Competition and Incentives to Participate,” Strategic Behavior and the Environment, 2(3).
• Ahmed, Rasha and Kathleen Segerson (2011). “Collective Voluntary Agreements: Towards Greener Markets,” Resource and Energy Economics, 33(3): 572-588.
• Cosgel, Metin, Rasha Ahmed and Thomas Miceli (2009). “Law, State Power and Taxation in Islamic History,” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 71(3): 704-717.

• “How Far Are Green Markets? An Analysis of Trends, Potential and Obstacles in Green Markets,” presented at Simmons College, 2018.
• “The Melting Pot Revisited: An Analysis of integration challenges,” Ansaar of Worcester, 2018.
• “Does the Technology Exist? Understanding the Provision of Fuel Efficiency,” 5th World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, Istanbul, Turkey, 2014.
• “Emissions Control and the Regulation of Product Markets: The Case of Automobiles,” 4th World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, Montreal, Canada, June 2010.
• “How are Cars different from Washing Machines? Environmental Agreements as a “Win- Win” Policy Option,” Brown Bag Lecture Series at the Economics Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, April 2007.
• “Emissions Control and the Regulation of Product Markets: The Case of Automobiles,” Camp Resource XIV Workshop, Wilmington, NC, August 2006.
• “Collective Agreements and the Use of less Polluting Products,” The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Summer Institute, Research Sketches, Cambridge, MA, July 2005.

• Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Award, University of Connecticut, January 2006
• Albert E. Waugh Award for academic achievement and teaching excellence in the Department of Economics, University of Connecticut, December 2002
• The Egyptian Syndicate of Commerce award for academic excellence, October 1998.