Fall 2016 Newsletter

Hello Economics Department and welcome to the end of fall quarter 2016! We’ve prepared this newsletter to keep everyone informed of the events and opportunities available to you via the Economics Department. In this edition, we are pleased to welcome and introduce new faculty and staff members to you, and provide information about award recognitions, upcoming events, classes, and programs available to you within the department.

Created by:
Fall 2016 Peer Advisors

Letter from the chair
New faculty and staff
Awards and recognition
Did you know...?
Course announcements
Upcoming department events
Advising and educational programs

An Announcement from Chair Kenneth Kletzer

Welcome to the Economics Department at UCSC. Our department houses some of the most popular undergraduate majors on campus and several exciting programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. Every year over 400 students graduate with a major in economics, business management economics, global economics, or economics and mathematics. Our Ph.D. program has achieved a level of recognized excellence over the years and continues to grow and develop into new areas of frontier research in economics. Our M.S. program in applied economics and finance is in its fourth year in its new form as a one-year professional degree program. These programs are a tremendous success attracting and graduating outstanding students from around the globe. 

This is yet another eventful year for our department. We welcomed three new faculty members in September and are recruiting for three more assistant professors this year. Chenyue Hu joined our department after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. Chenyue’s research focusses on international finance and macroeconomics, and she will teaching courses in both areas for our economics majors and in the Ph.D. program. Jeremy West joined us from M.I.T. where he was a post-doctoral scholar after completing his Ph.D. at Texas A&M. Jeremy does research in environmental economics, public economics, and labor economics. He is teaching courses in environmental economics in the undergraduate program and in public policy for the graduate program this year. Jeremy is part of UCSC’s new multidisciplinary initiative in coastal sustainability working with colleagues across campus. We excited to have Chenyue and Jeremy with us.

Our third new member is Kevin Jones who joined the department as teaching professor in accounting. Kevin becomes the director of our accounting program and will take a leading role in the business management economics major. He earned his DBA in accounting from Georgia State University and MBA from the University of Baltimore. Kevin joins us from the faculty of Drexel University’s College of Business in Philadelphia. Welcome to California, Kevin!

The Economics Department advising staff is amazing! Please take advantage of the outstanding resources in 401 Engineering 2. This fall, they have been joined by Hayley Mears who coordinates field study for our Bachelors programs and career placement for the M.S. program. Our undergraduate advisors are Lisa Morgan and Inga Tromba, simply know everything you need to know (and more!) to get through the major. We also have a fabulous group of enthusiastic peer advisors to help you out. Sandra Reebie always has an open door and ready answer for our M.S. and Ph.D. students.

This fall, we begin an era of great uncertainty for many of your fellow students. Our university, our campus, and our department will always be a welcoming and supportive home for all students of any background or experience. We are committed to supporting every member of our community, embrace diversity, and oppose intolerance in all its forms. In a time of anxiety, I hope that we can all join as a community in support of each other.

New Faculty and Staff

Jeremy West

Assistant Professor Jeremy West grew up in Texas and received his bachelor’s and Ph.D. at Texas A&M. Professor West then proceeded to participate in a postdoctoral at MIT for two years before deciding to pursue a career as a professor. Professor West arrived at Santa Cruz to help with a new master’s program called “Coastal Science and Policy” and is teaching both Econ 170: Environmental Economics and Econ 259B: Public Policy Analysis this academic year and looks forward in building this new program and contributing to the Economics Department.

Professor West states that his interest in teaching did not begin until his second year as a Ph.D. student due to his academic advisor and friend allowing him to see the benefits that research can create. This led Professor West to UC Santa Cruz and begin his career as a professor and continue his research in a new environment. Professor West enjoys his new surroundings that allow him, his wife and dog, to venture in hikes, learn new dishes to cook at home, and read his favorite books. Professor West believes implementing daily life and surroundings into his research has allowed him to create new ideas and de-stress when necessary and allow him to become more productive. When looking back, Professor West remembers that completing his dissertation was the most memorable and challenging part of his career to date. Professor West recognized that these hardships influenced his decision to become a professor and teaching and assist the new leaders of tomorrow is the highest reward. Professor West looks forward with working with UC Santa Cruz faculty, staff and students with both the undergraduate classes and new master’s program. Professor West hopes to remain at UC Santa Cruz for a long time and develop new ideas and concepts through his research.

Chenyue Hu

Chenyue Hu is our new assistant professor. She has a strong interest in international economics and macroeconomics, with an emphasis on international finance. Her main focus is the different forms of international capital mobility which she categorized into three topics. These topics are international-risk sharing and portfolio arrangement, sovereign default and its consequences, and financial constraint and international trade.

After Professor Hu's time as a graduate student at the University of Michigan, she wanted to do more than just research. She wanted to have a career that encourages a life of learning with the flexibility and progression offered by and achieved through research. At the University of Michigan, Professor Hu was greatly inspired by her economic advisors and their research topics. Because of them, she wants to follow in their footsteps and also influence others to be interested and curious about international economic ideas and principles.

Today, Professor Hu is a new assistant professor with the Economics Department. She hopes to engage students in a theoretical, problem solving, and open environment. Furthermore, she wants students to understand the economic materials and succeed in her class. Professor Hu will be teaching Econ 131: International Financial Markets in winter and spring quarters and Econ 241C: Advanced International Finance Theory III in spring quarter.

Kevin Jones

Teaching Professor Kevin Jones joins us from his extensive experience on the east coast to become the director of the accounting program and support the business management economics major. Lecturer Jones received his B.S. in business administration with a concentration in accounting at the University of South Carolina and became a CPA. He then earned his MBA at the University of Baltimore and completed his doctor of business administration degree (DBA) at Georgia State University. Lecturer Jones worked in both the public sector and private industry in accounting for 20 years before pursuing a career in higher education. He had traveled across the globe as an auditor. Lecturer Jones shared that the accounting profession allowed him to see his experiences and responsibilities through a unique lens, increased his interest in traveling and fostered personal and professional growth.

Lecturer Jones will be teaching the intermediate accounting courses--Econ 111A and Econ 111B in winter and Econ 116 in spring-- and is creating an online version of the introductory accounting courses Econ 10A and 10B to be offered in summer. Lecturer Jones is also developing a seminar course for spring that will offer professional development for accounting and business students.

Lecturer Jones wishes to assist students who are starting their careers as professionals and become a resource for them. Keep an eye out for Lecturer Jones as he will be an influence within the Economics Department and is open in mentoring all. 

Hayley Mears

This year the Economics Department is excited to welcome a new staff member to the advising family! Hayley Mears is our new field studies and M.S. job placement coordinator. Field study through the Economics Department is a unique opportunity for students to earn academic credit while also receiving valuable real world experience related to their economics degree. Field Study (Economics 193/198) has also been approved as a PR-S general education requirement.

Hayley Mears earned an M.A. in education and counseling and a pupil personnel services credential from San Jose State University, and a B.A. in sociology and dramatic art from UC Santa Barbara.  Hayley has served the UC Santa Cruz campus and undergraduate students as a college advisor with Colleges 9, John R. Lewis College, and Kresge College. She previously managed job placement and launched job fairs with the UC Santa Cruz campus's Career Center and with Santa Cruz City Schools where she worked to find employment for students with learning disabilities.

Hayley is really enjoying her new position as field studies and job placement coordinator. At the mid-quarter field study meetings she had the opportunity to hear about students' work experiences along with the exciting projects and events the interns get to participate in. While she likes the networking opportunities that come with finding new internship possibilities for students, she also recognizes the challenges of staying in communication with employers in today's busy business environment.

If you are considering field study, Hayley encourages you to take advantage of this program.  Field study is a great opportunity to explore your career interests, get real-world work experience, and earn course credit.

Important: Undergraduate students interested in field study must apply the quarter before their field study begins! Please attend an Economics Field Study Program Orientation Session for more information, or visit the web page here.

Awards and Recognition

Congratulations Professor David Kaun!
The Economics Department is proud to announce David Kaun as the 2016 Distinguished Social Sciences Emeriti Award recipient. This award honors eminent social sciences scholars who continue to make major contributions in their field as emeriti faculty. Professor Kaun joined the campus and the Economics Department as an associate professor in 1966.  Wow, 50 years of service in one department, simply amazing!  For more information and entire story, please read here.

Congratulations Lisa Morgan!

Economics Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Lisa Morgan was the Staff Advisory Board’s (SAB) “Recognized Staff Member of the Month for October”.

The goal of the program is for staff members to recognize and celebrate fellow staff members. The staff recognition program is strictly "peer-to-peer" and is open to all staff employees to nominate fellow colleagues.

Lisa has been on campus for 29 years, with the Economics Department for 16 years and currently serves as the undergraduate programs, peer advisor and teaching practicum coordinator.  As part of the SAB award process, Lisa was interviewed and described the many responsibilities of her position, motivation, personal interests and offered sound advice for all. Her interview is available here.

Undergraduate Student Awards
The Economics Department awarded four undergraduate awards this fall 2016 to juniors in the business management economcis, economics, and global economics majors. The recipients are:

All four students were selected on the basis of high academic merit and class standing. This award will help reimburse their tuition and fees for the school year.  Congratulations and great job to Brooke, Iason, Amanda and Erica!

Did You Know...?

The business management economics major is recognized by CFA Institute. This status is granted to institutions whose degree program(s) incorporate at least 70% of the Chartered Financial Analyst Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), which provide students with a solid grounding in the CBOK and positions them well to sit for the CFA exams. Currently, UCSC is the only UC campus recognized. Econ 194F will be offered in spring quarter to support CFA.  Read more here.

Course Announcements

• Econ 139B:  E-Commerce Strategy, will be offered in winter 2017 by Lecturer Steve Owen who is an alumni and comes with extensive experience in the high-tech marketing sector.
• Econ 116: Advanced Topics in Accounting and Ethics, will be offered by Teaching Professor Kevin Jones for the very first time at UC Santa Cruz in spring 2017!

• Econ 194F, in support of the CFA, will be offered in spring 2017 by Lecturer Kai Pommerenke.

• Seminar developed for business/professional development will be offered in spring 2017 by Teaching Professor Kevin Jones.

Save the Date for Upcoming Department Events

Mark your calendars:
Faculty and undergraduate student winter event: Thursday, March 9th
Faculty and undergraduate student spring event: Monday, May 1st

Masters Job Fairs
Masters of Applied Economics and Finance (M.S. APEF) Job Fair (only for M.S. students in applied economics and finance enrolled in the cohort 2016-17):
Friday, April 21st 9am-12pm
Friday, May 12th 9am-12pm
Friday, June 2nd 9am-12pm
For further information, please contact Hayley Mears: hmears@ucsc.edu

Graduation Dates

• Economics masters and undergraduate graduation reception will be held on Friday, June 16, 2017, 1:30pm-3:30pm (seating is limited; more details to be announced in spring)
• Graduate Division Ph.D. and masters ceremony will be held on Friday, June 16, 2017, 4:00pm on the East Field
• Economiics Ph.D. brunch will be held for the graduating Ph.D. students on Friday, June 16, 2017, in the Engineering 2 building, room 499

Advising and Educational Programs

Peer Advising
Each year, experienced undergraduate students within the Economics Department volunteer to serve as peer advisors, offering the perspective of someone who has been where you are now. Peer advisors can help you with anything from major declarations, four-year plans, graduation checks, to advising on what classes to take. We are also more than happy to assist you in finding opportunities related to research, field study, and senior theses. Come during our drop-in advising hours and our peer advisors will be happy to help you with anything you need!

Peer advising is located in the advising office, Engineering 2, room 401, Monday-Friday 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:00pm.  Read more about economics advising here.

EAP
The UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) is a study abroad program available to students at all ten UC campuses. Currently, UCEAP offers programs in over 43 different countries around the world, with options to study abroad for a summer, quarter, semester, or year. Over 50% of UCEAP programs have no language requirement and offer courses in English, and several UCEAP programs provide opportunities for internships, volunteer work, and research.

Daniela Gorrino, Peer Advisor:  My Study Abroad Experience in Chile
As a global economics student, I spent winter and spring quarters of 2016 abroad in Santiago de Chile along with 30 other UC students. The purpose of the program was to study at La Universidad de Chile for a semester. But it never turns out to be so basic, does it?

For six months, I got to live with and love Chileans who touched my life in ways I can never forget. The city, Santiago, is framed by the snow-capped Andes and is home to 6 million people. During my time there I was not simply being a tourist but my daily life included finding the best vendor for sopaipillas at street markets or realizing that the Chilean standard for PDA is much more liberal than the U.S. It even had the downsides of walking for hours just to get home after the metro system flooded and all the taxis were full. The best parts were things I couldn't have expected: visiting an indigenous village to play their hockey-like sport, visiting the eclectic homes of the poet Pablo Neruda or celebrating in the streets after winning the Copa America against Argentina. Chile had a character of its own and truly, I could not get enough.

As for the studying aspect, my time as a student was extremely rewarding and challenging. I took classes regarding international business cultures among South American countries and Chilean area studies. The students and professors had so much love for internationals since to them I was an ambassador of the U.S. I also had the chance to teach English as my internship. There are many great opportunities to intern with organizations or companies and even volunteer with the U.S. embassy. All economics students are entirely recommended to study abroad, for any length of time. Besides the distinction it can have on your resume, living a different lifestyle and accepting different customs forever connects you to a new place. Grappling with the realities of a culture relative to U.S. life allows us to expand our mindset that becomes so rigid if our beliefs aren't challenged.

UCDC Program
The UCDC Program (quarter in Washington, D.C.) supervises and supports students who pursue internships and academic study in the nation’s capital. The program is open through a competitive application process to juniors and seniors (occasionally sophomores) in all majors. Students enroll for fall, winter, or spring quarter, earn 12-17 course credits, and continue to be registered as full-time students. Applicant selection is based on academic record, a written statement, letters of recommendation, and possibly a personal interview.

Career Center Advising
The UCSC Career Center promotes career development and related life planning skills to UC Santa Cruz students and alumni. They provide access to internships and employment opportunities so students may explore career choices. The Career Center offers drop-in advising for students who need any resume and career advice on Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm.

The Economics Department also has a career peer advisor available on Wednesdays, 1:00pm-2:20pm.

Upcoming Career Center Events:
Winter On-Campus Internship Fair
When: January 19th, 11am - 1pm
Where: Quarry Plaza

Government & Nonprofit Job & Internship Fair
When: January 24th, 4pm - 7pm
Where: West Field House

Computer/Engineering Internship Fair
When: February 1st, 11am - 3pm
Where: West Field House