Undergraduate Awards

The Economics Department awards three prizes annually:

1. The W. Tate Whitman Prize in Economics
2. The Jack and Lewis Greenhut Prize in Research
3. The Jack and Lewis Greenhut Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award

This award is for the ability to present clear, cogent analysis of complex issues, extraordinary personal integrity, and wise leadership in the classroom and department.

2026 Recipient is Sushmita Rajan

As a double major in Economics and Human Health with membership in both Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Epsilon, Sushmita demonstrates academic excellence. Her senior honors thesis, “From Crib To Classroom: Evidence from California 2004 Paid Family Leave Policy” is demonstrates her ability to rigorously analyze the complex issue of the effects of paid family leave policies. Her work on mental health policy at The Carter Center reflects a deep concern for public welfare and vulnerable populations. Within this job she developed a Python-based system to analyze education waiver data across 159 counties and drafted data-driven legislative testimony on mental health parity. Both of these demonstrate her commitment to improving the human condition. According to her nominator, Prof. Sara Markowitz, "Sushmita leads through example, modeling collaboration, accountability, and thoughtful decision-making."

After graduation, Sushmita has accepted a job as an Analyst at Mercer in Denver, CO.

Congratulations to Sushmita Rajan!

This prize is awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated the highest degree of excellence in classwork, research, and scholarly activities.

2026 Recipients are Yifeng Jin and Katherine Kennedy

Yifeng Jin is an outstanding student whose academic achievements and research accomplishments exemplify excellence in economics and exceptional promise for graduate study. He majored in Economics and Mathematics with a minor in Data Science, earning A grades in nearly all core Economics and Mathematics courses. Yifeng completed an honors thesis examining the connectedness among volatility in cryptocurrencies, financial markets, and the macroeconomy. According to his nominator, Prof. Yuki Wang, “Yifeng has an exceptional ability to quickly master new empirical methods and apply them creatively to important economic questions. His curiosity about research and his efficiency in tackling complex empirical tasks made working with him both productive and deeply rewarding.”

After graduation, Yifeng plans to pursue a PhD in Economics in the United States. He intends to continue conducting research in economics, with the long-term goal of contributing to academic scholarship and policy-relevant research at universities or research institutions.

Katherine Kennedy exemplifies the analytic clarity and integrity recognized in Jack and Lewis Greenhut Prize in Research. She independently identified a policy question at the intersection of economics and public health, built her own dataset from primary sources, and applied frontier causal inference methods to answer it. She demonstrated exceptional diligence and problem-solving ability throughout, working through substantial data construction and methodological challenges with a level of independence rare among undergraduates. According to her honors thesis advisor, "Katherine is one of the most diligent and resourceful students I have worked with. She tackled a genuinely difficult empirical project from start to finish, and I will remember her ability to independently work through problems that would have stalled most mortals in her position."

This award recognizes undergraduate students who have served as exceptional teaching assistants in our Economics classes.

2026 Recipient is Madeleine Smith

This award celebrates the spirit of both Prof. George Benston and Prof. Richard Muth, whose strong commitment to research and reputation for excellence helped facilitate Emory’s change to becoming the world class research institution it is today. In their honor, we give this award to the student who demonstrates exemplary intellectual curiosity, passion, and skill in economic analysis.

Note: 2024 was the final year the Economics Department awarded this prize.