December 2024 Newsletter
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Greetings from Minnesota Economics! We are wrapping up another successful semester with many accomplishments by our students, faculty, and staff. We are proud of our progress and achievements, which depend greatly on the generosity of our alumni and friends. Thank you for your continued support!
Undergraduate Student News
On the undergraduate front, the new business economics version of our major—a partnership with the Carlson School of Management—launched this semester has generated significant excitement and interest—and more students choosing economics!
I am also thrilled to announce a partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, where we are developing a new kind of undergraduate course—Economics at Work, jointly taught by Fed and University of Minnesota faculty, and working with the Fed on its Broadening Excellence in Economics initiative.
We are also expanding opportunities for undergraduates to gain experiences beyond Minnesota with the launch of a New York City career exploration trip this spring. This is in addition to our long-standing Washington, DC spring trip. Furthermore, our three-week summer class in London continues to be a popular and successful offering. A special shout-out to those alumni and friends who have volunteered and financially supported these enriching experiences for our students.
Graduate Student News
On the graduate front, a highlight was the return of our alum Myrna Wooders (PhD ‘76), who delivered the Minnesota Lecture. This event marked the revival of our series featuring distinguished graduates of our PhD program. The roster of those who have delivered the Minnesota Lecture is truly impressive. We also congratulate eleven PhD students graduating this year, who are now actively on the job market. Visit our job candidate website to learn more about their research.
Additionally, I’d like to highlight that recently we have been able to expand our use of graduate fellowships and graduate research awards. This has been made possible entirely by the generosity of our alumni and friends. This investment has been instrumental in attracting top students and sustaining the size and quality of our program.
Office Hours Podcast
I hope you are checking out our Heller Hurwicz Office Hours podcasts. The Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute continues its mission of supporting cutting-edge economics research and translating it into actionable policy insights. This week, as I write, we had an informed discussion shedding light on a controversial issue. You can watch a YouTube recording of "Taxes, Tariffs, and Trade: Economic Policy in the Once and Future Administration." If you’d like to stay informed about Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute events, please join our mailing list.
Thank you for your ongoing interest and support of the Department of Economics and the Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute. If you'd like to make an unrestricted gift this year, you can contribute to the Economics Annual Fund or the Heller-Hurwicz Program Fund. You can also search for your favorite named fund. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, we continue striving to be one of the best economics programs in the world.
Wishing you all the best,
Tom
Thomas J. Holmes
Professor and Chair
Department of Economics
[email protected]
We asked Assistant Professor Joseph Mullins to answer this question for prospective students.
Meet Meghana Bhaskar, a third-year economics PhD student at the University of Minnesota, who's exploring how taxation reduces carbon emissions.
Undergraduate Ella Curiel is intrigued by economics’ ability to use data to drive social change. She talks about her experience as an economics major.
