Economics Department News

The 114th Commencement Exercises were held Sunday, May 13, 2007, on the Marston Quadrangle in front of Bridges Auditorium.  During the academic year 2006-2007 the Department of Economics offered 51 classes and graduated 48 economics majors,  and 4 cross discipline majors that included economics, and several economics minors.  Economics continues to serve record numbers of students in general service classes, principles and statistics, in core major courses and in field classes. Two of our students graduated Magna Cum Laude and 6 graduated Cum Laude. In addition, at least 5 seniors wrote papers with faculty that will probably be published.

We held twelve senior colloquia, as well as a simulated Federal Open Market Committee meeting by students from two classes:  macroeconomics and money and banking under the guidance of the staff of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; including its president, Janet Yellen.

We conducted a search for a new hire and undertook a 10-year self -study of our program. We hired Ludwig B. Chincarini, who hales from MIT and has had several years of experience advising investment funds in Washing D.C. and has taught finance classes at Georgetown University. Along with Gary Smith, Mr. Chincarini greatly strengthens our finance offerings.