Alumni Spotlight

"The Emory Economics program equipped me with a strong work ethic, comfort with rigor, and analytical skills that I still apply today. As a law student, I also often note overlap in the curriculum. Economics plays a crucial role in legal theory related to contract formation, regulations, financial markets, data privacy, and much more. My current fascination with antitrust and consumer protection law directly stems from my study of economics at Emory."

"Emory Economics provided me with critical thinking skills that are necessary in the public policy field."

"My Emory economics education taught me to ask critical, applicable questions that will narrow the path to the solution."

"When I reflect back on my experience at Emory, I see a well-rounded education, balanced with diverse cultures and the opinions of budding students and Emory's renowned faculty. Pursuing a Biology degree alongside my Economics major, truly gave me a holistic learning experience. The faculty in the Economics department, especially Dr. Banerjee, helped to increase my personal understanding of the fundamentals of how our economy and those of other nations function. These foundations, that allow countries to coexist, will remain with me for a long time." 

Photo with Dr. Banerjee (left), Emory Economics Faculty

"Emory is an academically rigorous school, and the Economics program is one of the more challenging paths you can pursue. In that sense, my Econ experience prepared me for Law School and I was not shocked by the demanding workload. Furthermore, Econ is a huge part of law and the wide variety of courses I took allowed me to better understand the underlying facts of cases we studied. I also felt better able to engage in discussions about damage remedies and the issues surrounding the different types of negligence in torts."

"My Emory Economics experience has been invaluable to me throughout my educational journey and as I begin my career. The wide range of elective classes exposed me to a broad range of real-world applications and allowed me to truly explore the areas about which I feel most passionate, giving me a head-start in choosing a career path. The faculty genuinely cared about my education and my development as a young student and economist, often going above and beyond to discuss course material outside the classroom and create unique research opportunities. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to assist a professor with research for developing a new course on Economics and Food, and to have assisted another with grammar/style reviews of economic articles before they were sent for submission. Both opportunities exposed me to advanced economics and their real-world uses and implications. Though all the courses and faculty are incredibly diverse, all of them emphasized teaching how to learn rather than memorization of facts without understanding. The most valuable experience was learning to "build the model" piece by piece, with in-depth understanding of how the theory works, and the ability to draw additional conclusions from the solid foundation, rather than being asked to simply memorize a graph or theory without true comprehension. In each course, I was given the materials I needed to seek information on my own when possible, strengthening my independent learning and research skills that have allowed me to stand out during my professional career."

”The Emory Economics major involves a heavy emphasis on quantitative skills which provided me with skills in statistical analysis in R and Python. These skills were the gateway to my ability to research under my dream faculty professor, Dr. Parminder Suchdev, in the BRINDA Project about mitigating global micronutrient malnutrition. Because of my interest in the intersection of health and economics, my favourite courses were the electives in health economics - particularly Health Economics and Health Care Markets with Dr. Sara Markowitz and Dr. Ian McCarthy. They gave me intricate insights about global healthcare systems that I did not have beforehand. Overall, the Emory Economics major's rigor and quantitative nature greatly benefitted me in making me an even more competent candidate for graduate school programs. Additionally, the STEM certification of the major opened more opportunities to me as an international student.”

"The Economics courses at Emory ignited my interest in the intersection of business, economic policy, and real impact - and these guiding questions have led me to pursue a career attempting to address big issues in a realistic yet meaningful way. In particular, the course on contemporary economic issues opened my eyes to the numerous ways in which understanding the data behind big picture policy can either enhance or derail economic development and progress. I like to say that my time with the Economics department gave me the language and tools to talk about any issue - whether that be healthcare, education, workforce development, or another."

"Studying economics at Emory was the culmination of a realization that I was interested in pursuing a major that sits at the intersection of macroeconomic policy, quantitative statistics, and micro-level human behavior. The economics major was rigorous, grounded in core principals, and taught by some of the most friendly and inspiring professors at the university. In addition, I hold the opinion that the best part of the major is its versatility; the ability to combine the major with mathematics, business, health, data analytics, political science, and a litany of other subjects is a boon to students interested in multi-disciplinary studies."

"The Emory Economics courses have laid a solid foundation for my graduate studies in Finance. The quantitative analytical skills I learned in Econometrics, time series analysis helped me build the whole structure for examining the real world."

"I am very grateful for the mentorship of professors, who always challenge me intellectually and expanded my thinking."

"As I look back at Emory and my Economics courses, I remember sitting in the lectures and not understanding most of the material. At times it was frustrating, but now I have come to appreciate the challenges I was given and the push to think critically. The combination of liberal arts education and Economics courses helped me to widen my interests and enabled me to think outside of the box. As I started my first job, I learned a few skills on the job, but education in Economics/Mathematics (and Computer Science) gave me a solid foundation to process information and to think critically."

"It [my Emory economics education] has benefited me in effecting the way I problem-solve issues and my future career I plan to have in health policy research and advocacy as a practicing physician."

"Emory Economics taught me how to think. With the tools it gave me, I can critically analyze models, incentives, and complex systems in order to find the insight within."

"I studied economics and religion [at Emory]. Emory gave me a well rounded experience that proved my value to employers as a competitive candidate for future opportunities. Economics is understood from university to university and from employer to employer, so there are positive connotations that come with having this degree that will benefit you. People expect you to have an understanding of resource scarcity, to be comfortable with numbers, and to think about problems analytically and also socially."

"Studying economics at Emory was a wonderful introduction to the world of economics and empirical research and it set me on the path to entering a PhD program in Economics right after graduating. Being able to work as an undergraduate research assistant for faculty in the department and read research papers in various economics elective classes really sparked my interest in the field."

"I'm extremely grateful for my Emory Economics professors, who were invested in their students' learning and success. A couple of professors expertly helped me navigate and shape my interests into a professional career. I am still in touch with them and will continue to consider them as lifelong mentors. " 

"Through courses ranging from Behavioral Economics to Econometrics, Emory Economics provided me with the decision-making tools to enhance my problem solving. I am grateful for the tight-knit Emory Economics community, and continue to stay in close contact with my professors and classmates. A special shout-out to my good friend and mentor, Dr. Banerjee! If I can be of help in any way along your journey, I am more than happy to be a resource."