Cornell economist Nicolas Ziebarth, assistant professor of policy analysis and management in the College of Human Ecology, has received two awards for his research on health economics.

For his study on the design of sick pay insurance systems and their implications for work attendance, Ziebarth earned the first-place prize in the 2011 W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Dissertation Award competition. The Upjohn Institute, a nonprofit, independent research organization committed to the study of the causes and effects of unemployment, has given awards for the field's top dissertations since 1995.

His thesis, "Sickness Absence and Economic Incentives," stood out for its policy relevance, technical quality, potential impact on real-world problems and presentation, according to his award letter. Ziebarth will receive his award in January at the Allied Social Science Associations meeting in Chicago.

In October, Ziebarth will travel to Europe to accept the best paper award from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), where he was previously a research associate, for his study on the economics of convalescent care programs.

Ziebarth joined Cornell this fall and also teaches in the Sloan Program in Health Administration.

Ted Boscia is assistant director of communications for the College of Human Ecology.