Summer 2020 Newsletter
Dear alumni and friends,
We hope you are healthy and weathering these uncertain times well. It is no exaggeration to say that the first half of 2020 has been unlike anything we have experienced before. We are proud of how our faculty and instructors rose to the occasion as the situation evolved this spring, moving coursework online and finding creative ways to ensure student success. Our students took these changes in stride, with grace and resilience. As we look forward to the start of fall semester, we know our daily routines will look different, but our commitment to education and outreach is unwavering.
In this issue, we invite you to read stories about:
- Grad student Amy Handlan, who has brought the same enthusiasm and dedication to her teaching and her research
- Our continued commitment to create unique opportunities for our undergraduates to learn outside the classroom. In March, a group led by academic advisor Annie Bigley traveled to Washington, DC for a weeklong career exploration trip
- How we collectively adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, while bringing our expertise to study economic issues that will affect all our lives for a long time
In a time with so many unknowns, we are grateful for the solid foundation of you—our community of alumni and supporters. Thank you for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Christopher Phelan
Professor and Chair, Department of Economics
Ellen McGrattan
Professor, Department of Economics and Director, Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute
Over the course of her grad program, Amy Handlan has seized almost every opportunity that the economics department and the University of Minnesota have offered and grown not just as a researcher but also as an instructor and future professor of economics.
Over spring break, six economics undergraduates took the opportunity to visit Washington DC with graduate students in the Humphrey School, where they got the chance to explore Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office, meet Senator Tina Smith at the Russell Senate Office Building, and learn about the close relationship between economics and public policy.
With the world reeling from the repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak, research on how to restart the economy without endangering lives has taken center stage. The economics department faculty and alumni have been collaborating with economists across the country (and the world) to zero in on the most beneficial policy measures.
Read "Approaches to Restarting the Economy in the Time of Coronavirus"