December 2021 Newsletter
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As I write this, snow is falling on campus and students are studying for finals. As I reflect on my first semester as department chair, I am grateful for our community of alumni and supporters like you. Although we continue to adjust our activities in light of COVID-19, much of our research and teaching carries on as usual. Although we are masked, it has been a pleasure to teach to a classroom full of students again, meet with colleagues in person, and host seminars to learn about new research in progress.
This fall, the College of Liberal Arts celebrated the successful completion of our Shattering Expectations campaign. Donors invested over $182 million in CLA, with more than $25 million of that designated to the Department of Economics and Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute. This is truly outstanding! Thank you to so many of you who donated, allowing us to increase opportunities for students, launch new initiatives, and ensure the continued excellence of Minnesota Economics.
In this newsletter, I invite you to read about the Neil Wallace fellowship established by alumnus Ken Johnson (BS '83), Professor Kjetil Storesletten, our newly recruited Fink Chair, and Jackson Mejia (BS '20), a recent undergraduate alumnus who is off to MIT.
On a final note, I want to thank the many alumni and friends who have volunteered with us throughout the past year—through mentoring, speaking to classes, informational interviews, and board service. This has made a huge difference to our students and faculty.
Wishing you good health and much happiness as we start 2022.
Happy Holidays,
Thomas J. Holmes
Professor and Chair, Department of Economics
Ken Johnson (BS '83) was inspired to honor Neil Wallace not only for his scholarship, but also for his intellect, humility, patience, and humanity.
Kjetil Storesletten, an internationally recognized macroeconomist, joined the faculty this fall. He is the inaugural Richard and Beverly Fink Professor in Economics.
He is described by Professor Ellen McGrattan as the kind of student who only comes along once every 20 years. What inspired Jackson Mejia, BS ‘20, to change his major from electrical engineering to economics?
