Summer 2021 Newsletter
Letter from the chair
Dear Friends of NU Economics,
I am happy to report that our Economics community has finally begun to re-emerge from the pandemic-induced disruption to our lives as the COVID-19 threat recedes. Our staff, our faculty, and our students worked very hard over the last 16 months to keep us functioning, albeit virtually, but we are all looking forward to returning to the Kellogg Global Hub -- not just to get back to our offices and classrooms but also to enjoy the casual interactions in the hallways, at the mailboxes, and around the espresso machine. I honestly have no idea how our Italian colleagues have coped without the espresso machine.
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Welcome New Faculty
The department is thrilled to introduce the newest members of our faculty. This year's hiring season produced a wealth of talented and diverse individuals who will undoubtedly go on to enrich and broaden the field of economics and our department.
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Faculty Summer Reading List
From a Pulitzer prize-winning classic to a collection of thought-provoking sci-fi short stories, our faculty have some great suggestions to get you through the summer!
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Q&A with Mark Witte
Mark Witte is the Director of Undergraduate Studies and dedicates countless hours to serving students, which is evident by their praise for him. Mark’s research focuses on applied questions in macroeconomics and public finance. His main interests are in consumption theory and topics in taxation. His teaching interests include macroeconomics, money and banking, public finance, the economics of the environment, and the extraction of natural resources. He has been voted onto the Associated Student Government honor roll numerous times in recognition of both his teaching and student advising. He has been honored with a Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS) Distinguished Teaching Award, and a WCAS Distinguished Leader in the Undergraduate Community Award. Learn more about Mark's takes on current economic policy and what his favorite television show is by clicking the link below.
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Alumni Spotlight
The department was thrilled to receive generous gifts from Susan Bies '68 MA, '72 Ph.D., and the Menard family.
The Bies gift will go towards the creation of the Susan Bies Fund for Public Policy Research in Economics. The fund will be used to support faculty and students in the area of public policy including faculty recruitment and retention, programming, graduate fellowships, and undergraduate research. Bies has an existing endowment in the department that supports the annual Susan Bies Lecture on Economics and Public Policy. The lecture alternates between microeconomic and macroeconomic topics.
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The Menard grant will fund a faculty position for an economic historian, who will serve as associate director of the center. The grant also will fund two postdoctoral fellowships, faculty and student research, and administrative support.
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We hosted many virtual faculty speaking events for our alumni with topics ranging from COVID-19 to the Economics of Environmentalism. To enjoy the recordings of the events, please click on the link below.
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Ph.D. Spotlight
We wish all of our graduate students success as they continue their teaching and research pursuits at fine institutions and firms throughout the world.
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Our department is looking forward to welcoming our incoming class to the Ph.D. program in the fall!
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Undergraduate Spotlight
Congratulations to the class of 2021! What a year! We were thrilled to be able to honor our senior award winners and honors students with a small, in-person gathering at the Kellogg Global Hub. Additionally, we were able to host a virtual senior celebration acknowledging the accomplishments of all economics graduates, featuring inspiring messages from Mark Witte, Sonya Brown '94, and Katherine Daehler '21.
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Our student groups have been busy this year planning events and initiatives for their fellow economics students. Additionally, the department is piloting a new program, BONDS: Building Opportunity, Nurturing Discover & Support.
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KEEP IN TOUCH!
We would love to hear from you! Please stay in touch and informed of department news by adding us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Please consider giving to the department. Gifts of any size directly influence the department’s trajectory of academic excellence and discovery and help expand our positive impact throughout the world.