Fall 2024 Newsletter
Trees on Campus
Welcome back, Slugs! As we welcome you to the fall 2024 edition of the Economics Department's newsletter, let's dive into the exciting highlights of the season.
This fall marks another milestone in our academic journey as we continue to build on the momentum of in-person learning and collaboration. We’re also thrilled to see the energy of our students, faculty, and staff in bringing life to our classrooms, research, and events. Whether you're navigating your first quarter or preparing to graduate, the advising team is here to support your goals and ensure you thrive in your academic pursuits.
Here’s to a wonderful and productive quarter ahead!
- Your Fall 2024 Peer Advisers
Letter from the chair
New graduate student cohort
Faculty highlights
Awards
Other campus scholarships
Events recap
Alumni spotlight
Future winter events
Graduating peer advisers: upcoming journeys
Course updates
Summer courses
Stay connected
Letter from Department Chair Jon Robinson
Dear Students, Faculty, and Friends of the Economics Department,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to another exciting year at UC Santa Cruz’s Economics Department. I took over as chair in July, following five great years by Alan Spearot. We are really grateful for his leadership and hope he enjoys his much-deserved sabbatical.
As a faculty member here since 2007, I have been continually impressed by the passion, dedication, and intellectual curiosity that define our vibrant academic community. Our department is committed to fostering a dynamic learning environment that bridges theory and practice, and producing policy-relevant research.
This is an exciting year for our department. We welcome new Assistant Professor David Schöenholzer, who joins us from the Institute for International Economics Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University. David's research areas are in public economics and political economy and will greatly strengthen our research group in applied microeconomics. He will be teaching ECON 100A and 113 this year. In addition, we congratulate Jessie Li, Kristian Lopez Vargas, and Jeremy West, who were all promoted to associate professor with tenure and Kevin Jones, who was promoted to associate teaching professor.
In 2024, a total of 444 students graduated from our program: 311 in business management economics (BMEC), 105 in economics (ECON), 18 in our economics/mathematics combined major (XEMA), and 10 in global economics (GLEC). We are proud to serve such a large number of students and wish them the best in their future endeavors.
In our graduate programs, we are happy to welcome an incoming class of 10 Ph.D. students and 18 M.S. students. We look forward to working with these students - welcome to Santa Cruz!
Thank you for being a part of the UC Santa Cruz Economics Department. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to foster a community of intellectual curiosity, social impact, and academic excellence. - Jon Robinson
New M.S. and Ph.D. Cohort
Here at UC Santa Cruz, our Economics Department offers two graduate programs: a M.S. in applied economics and finance and a Ph.D. in economics. Fall 2024 saw our department welcome a new M.S. and Ph.D. cohort from a variety of locations. Between both programs, we have students from China, India, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.
We are excited to welcome and congratulate our newest graduate students who have decided to take the next step in their education here at UC Santa Cruz!
Faculty Highlights
Earlier this year, Professor Emeritus of Economics Daniel Friedman was elected into the inaugural class of fellows of the Economics Science Association (ESA). Professor Friedman, is “the coauthor of five academic books, fourteen NSF grants, and roughly 100 research articles,” and has a broad range of academic interests, including applied economic theory and financial market design. Professor Friedman’s election into the ESA represents his lifetime of innovative and breakthrough research, specifically through laboratory and field experiments and promoting experiential research in economics. The department congratulates Professor Friedman on this outstanding achievement and honor.
The Distinguished Social Sciences Emeriti Faculty Award is a prestigious award presented to emeriti faculty who continue to make innovative breakthroughs in their field. Professor Emeritus of Economics Carl Walsh, received this award earlier this year for his research on monetary policy and its effects on the labor market and inflation. Professor Walsh joined UC Santa Cruz in 1987 and has mentored a number of successful students who have gone on to work in the monetary policy and financial field. Professor Walsh and his wife, Judy Walsh, are also founders of the Walsh Family Scholarship Endowment for Social Science majors, which has awarded four scholarships in the past year and 34 since its establishment in 2003. The department extends our congratulations to Professor Walsh for this esteemed award. More information about the award can be found here.
Awards
We are pleased to recognize the hardworking economics students at the graduate and undergraduate levels who earned awards for their academic and teaching achievements. These awards are made possible by the generosity of many donors and bring effusive joy to the recipients! We are grateful for their philanthropy and support of economics at UC Santa Cruz! (Additional information about donating can be found here.)
Graduate Student Awards
Ananyo Brahma
Finalist: Drishan Banerjee 
Finalist: Taisuke Kameda
Undergraduate Student Awards
Economics Undergraduate Awards in Economics
Kayla Geddis
Peter Li
Andrew Rivas
Economics Undergraduate Awards in Business Management Economics
Alex Kosan
Jiehua Luo
Tony Nguyen
Other Campus Scholarships
The UC Santa Cruz Blum Scholars award program enables undergraduate and graduate students to complete a community-based research project either domestically or abroad that addresses poverty, social enterprise, or participatory governance. Full details of the award can be found here.
Rolly Kapoor, Ph.D. Candidate. Project: “Together to Work? Role of Travel Buddies on Women's Employment and Mobility”
Piyush Gandhi, Ph.D. Student. Project: “Extinguishing the Blaze: Impact of Crop Residue Management on Stubble Burning in India”
The Koret Research Scholarship is an award disbursed through the Financial Aid Scholarship Office, funded by a generous grant from the Koret Foundation. Each year up to 50 students doing a variety of research projects and experiences are awarded. Two of our undergraduate students are recipients of the 2025 Koret Scholars:
Scarlett Ortega Velez, environmental studies/economics combined major. Project title, “Exploring Sexual Reproduction Genes in Hydra Strains”
Evan Quintana, double-major in applied mathematics and global economics. Project title, “Tracking the Presence & Effect of Disinformation in Taiwan’s 2024 Election: Using Sentiment and Network Analyses to Observe the Spread of False Narratives”
Events Recap from Our Peer Advisers
Meet the Firms
UC Santa Cruz’s Career Success hosted its annual Meet the Firms event this last fall. The event was conducted virtually by way of Handshake and included more than 10 employers in the accounting profession including Big 4 and many top 100 firms in the country. Students were able to connect with employers and learn more about the profession and pathways to employment. Additionally, there were opportunities to interview for summer and winter internships in audit and taxation. Seniors were able to start their process of seeking employment post-graduation. In general, the accounting profession continues to provide very strong job opportunities for UC Santa Cruz students pursuing the accounting concentration. Students on track to have 225 quarter units prior graduation or to start full-time employment are typically able to find the best job opportunities in the profession and employers continue to stress the importance of meeting this criteria in their recruiting.
2024 Graduate & Professional School Fair
UC Santa Cruz’s Career Success Center hosted a two-day graduate and professional school fair on November 6th and 7th. There were over 20 schools in attendance and among them were San José State University, UC Irvine - Paul Merage School of Business, and Saint Mary’s College. This fair was a great opportunity to connect with graduate schools if you want to pursue further education after graduating. UC Santa Cruz’s Career Success Center also hosted on-the-spot drop-in advising and brought their professional photo booth for a new potential profile picture on LinkedIn! - Kira Brown, Peer Adviser
UC Santa Cruz Open House
The Economics Department was given the opportunity to host a table at the UC Santa Cruz Open House Event on November 2nd. The Open House hosted departments from all across campus, campus tours and performances from students. It was a great opportunity for any student unsure about what major to pursue, or just curious about what is offered by the Economics Department. Two of our peer advisers, Kushi and Divya, were able to table and meet with several prospective and current students, as well as their families.
“This event was very beneficial for students who had questions regarding the economics major, minor, or any other questions/concerns regarding student life!” - Kushi Keertipati, Peer Adviser
2024 Business, Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities Career & Internship Fair
Students had the opportunity to participate in this Career & Internship Fair. During their time there, they were able to visit several booths offering internships and full-time jobs. They spoke with representatives from various companies about the opportunities available. Some of the companies present included Target, Eastdil Secured, Lenox Advisors, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Each representative provided valuable information about their positions and the application process, including timelines for applying. For students seeking full-time jobs or internships, these types of fairs offer a great opportunity to network and learn about potential career paths.
“Through the event, I learned about different opportunities in business, including career paths in real estate investment, financial advisor, and enterprise management. I was able to connect with a recruiter in Lenox Advisor, a company focusing on wealth management and financial advising, following the event.” - David Zhou, Peer Adviser
Fall 2024 Faculty and Undergraduate Colloquium
In November, the Economics Department hosted a Faculty and Undergraduate Colloquium featuring two graduate alumni of UC Santa Cruz, Harrison Shieh, and Ken Suzuki, as well as Jessie Li, the UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. program director. The panel answered a series of questions regarding graduate school, job searching, internships, life after graduation, research, and much more.
“Attending the Faculty and Undergraduate Colloquium was an incredibly valuable experience for me. Three faculty members shared their advice on applying to graduate school, building a strong resume, and succeeding in job interviews. I learned the importance of tailoring applications to highlight my unique skills and experiences, structuring my resume to meet industry standards, and using strategies to confidently handle both common and behavioral interview questions. Their insights gave me practical steps to take as I prepare for the next stages of my academic and professional journey.”-Shilpa Suresh, Peer Adviser
The Economics Department is grateful for our three panelists taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to our students!
LEEPS: Market Experiment
In early October, I had the opportunity to attend a Market Experiment hosted by LEEPS, where we conducted a trading competition game among other students. The purpose of this game is to make bids and trade with others with the goal of making the most points. We conducted ten rounds of games as people accumulated more experience in their strategy throughout. In the end, I was able to earn $27 from the game. - David Zhou
Alumni Spotlight
Aruna Patel, a spring 2020 graduate of our undergraduate program in economics with a double major in mathematics, has been working as a data scientist at Warner Bros. Games. After completing her undergraduate studies at UC Santa Cruz, she went on to earn a Master of Science in Quantitative Economics with an emphasis in Data Science from UC Los Angeles. In addition to her work at Warner Bros. Games, she currently teaches computer science as a part-time lecturer at California State University, Sacramento, and starting in the winter semester, she will also serve as an adjunct professor in economics at Folsom Lake College.
“I am thankful for my time at UC Santa Cruz, where the mentorship of exceptional professors and the valuable experiences I gained as a Lead Peer Adviser, MSI Learning Assistant, and Notetaker, laid the foundation for my current career and teaching roles. Go Banana Slugs!”
Future Winter Events
Every quarter, we are excited to bring together our department through a variety of events, including our highly anticipated quarterly colloquiums. These gatherings are a great opportunity to connect, learn, and engage with your colleagues. Make sure to check your email and visit the events page regularly for the latest updates and information on upcoming events. Stay tuned!
Winter Quarterly Faculty & Undergraduate Colloquium (TBA)
Job Market Workshops (for economics Ph.D. students)
Monday, January 6, 2025
Host: Ajay Shenoy, Economics Ph.D. Director
Winter Career and Internship Fair (In Person)
Tuesday, January 28, from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Multipurpose room at College Nine/John R. Lewis College
Winter Virtual Career and Internship Fair (Remote)
Wednesday, January 29, from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., by way of Handshake
Registration opens January 1st, 2025
UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Extension Campus: Business Career and Internship Fair
Tuesday, February 11, from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
UC Santa Cruz’s Silicon Valley Extension, located at 3175 Bowers Ave, Santa Clara, CA
Graduating Peer Advisers: Upcoming Journeys
Vedaant Katariya - After an exhilarating sprint through UC Santa Cruz, where I earned a double-major in politics and economics two quarters early, I’m at an exciting crossroads. Whether stepping into the legal world as a paralegal or diving deeper into academia at law school, I’m eager to apply the critical thinking and analytical skills honed as an economics peer adviser and college scholar. My journey so far has been a blend of rigor and reward, setting the stage for my next chapter in the legal field.
Richelle Miao – After graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in business management economics with a concentration in accounting, I’ll be joining Deloitte in San Francisco as an audit associate this upcoming fall 2025. I’m looking forward to working with a talented team, growing my skills, and exploring life in the city. This is just the beginning of my journey in the professional world, and I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Course Updates
New Course Offered in Winter and Spring
In the winter and spring 2025 quarters, we are offering a new course, Economics 22P, Introduction to Python for Data Science. This economics course can be counted as one of the required computer literacy requirements for the business management economics major as well as the business management economics with accounting concentration. It is also just a great course to take in general and will satisfy the MF general education code and units towards graduation. Enrollment is currently restricted to our proposed and declared majors during first-pass enrollment so please make sure to secure your seat!
ECON 197 Prerequisite Changes, effective fall 2025
Attention students: starting fall 2025, students will need to have completed ECON 100A or (100M) along with the entry level writing and composition requirement.
- ECON 197 Prerequisite(s) as of F25: Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements; ECON 100A or ECON 100M. ECON 100B or ECON 100N and ECON 113 strongly recommended. Restricted to sophomore, junior, and senior economics, business-management economics.
Summer Session 2025 Course Offerings
Our economics summer courses offer an opportunity to fulfill prerequisites and major requirements. There will be a mixture of courses taught online and in person. More information can be found at summer.ucsc.edu.
10 Week Session: June 23 - August 29
Econ 100A-01 Intermediate Microeconomics {GE:PE-H} (Online)
Session 1: June 23 - July 25
Econ 1-01 Introductory Microeconomics {GE:PE-H} (Online)
Econ 10A Economics of Accounting I (Online)
Econ 20 Economics for Non-Majors {GE:PE-H} (Online)
Econ 100A-02 Intermediate Microeconomics (Online)
Econ 100B-01 Intermediate Macroeconomics (Online)
Econ 101 Managerial Economics (Online)
Econ 113-01 Introduction to Econometrics {GE:SR} (Online)
Econ 125 Economic History of the U.S. (In Person)
Econ 136 Business Strategy (In Person)
Econ 197-01 Economic Rhetoric {DC} (In Person)
Session 2: July 28 - August 29
Econ 1-02 Introductory Microeconomics {GE:PE-H} (Online)
Econ 2 Introductory Macroeconomics {GE:PE-H} (Online)
Econ 10B Economics of Accounting II (Online)
Econ 100B-02 Intermediate Macroeconomics (Online)
Econ 113-02 Introduction to Econometrics {GE:SR} (Online)
Econ 133 Security Markets and Financial Institutions (Online)
Econ 149 The Economies of East and Southeast Asia (In Person)
Econ 161A Marketing (Online)
Econ 197-02 Economic Rhetoric {DC} (In Person)
Stay Connected
Undergraduate students, please join our LinkedIn Group: UCSC Economics
Master's students, please join our LinkedIn Group: UCSC M.S. in Applied Economics and Finance
Doctorate students, please join our LinkedIn Group: UCSC Economics Ph.D. Program
Visit our Economics Department Calendar for upcoming events.
List of Classes for Winter Quarter
