A message from the Chair
It must be Fall again, the start of another academic year, and time for our annual newsletter.
As you recall (I say this tongue in cheek, just like in class when referring to some arcane fact from a prior course) we have been engaging in alumni roundtables (thank you!), and they have now led to a Pathways Conference. Please see the item on this exciting new initiative in this issue. I think it will demonstrate the value of alumni engagement to everyone involved and is another way to pay it forward.
Speaking of paying, you will also see in this issue that budgetary issues continue to loom large for the department (we had to pause the Distinguished Lecture this year) - and of course we all know that the cost of a degree continues to increase. We are attempting to lower the transactions cost of donations by having direct links to the various opportunities, foremost student support, scholarships and bursaries, and the distinguished lecture on our website.
In other news, two faculty members have retired this year... which now makes me the longest serving member, when just ‘yesterday’ I was the new kid in the basement office. I am sure similar thoughts run through your heads every now and then, and present a great opportunity to remember all the exciting and fun times that lie in our past.
As always, it is a pleasure to present you with this update. Please reach out anytime -- I look forward to hearing from you!
All the best,
Lutz-Alexander Busch
Inside this issue
Waterloo Arts Distinguished Lecture in Economics
Update from the UW Economics Society
A conversation with Geoff Malleck
A conversation with Trien Nguyen
Scholarships: We’re proud of UW Econ!
Congratulations to our phenomenal students
Graduate Students presenting their work in progress
Economics Alumni Roundtables
Over the past year, we again have had the privilege of engaging in substantive roundtable conversations with alumni about their experiences in our program. These meetings allowed us to hear how their economics degree set up the arc of their career, and what technical skills might usefully be introduced earlier. We heard from people with experience in finance, technology entrepreneurship, government and policy consulting, higher education and not-for-profit/non-governmental organization; they ranged from analysts just a few years out from university through to managers and senior decision-makers, all the way to retirees with much insight to share about the value of education for resilience. Alumni input is like gold and we take the recommendations we heard very seriously.
Our alumni told us over and over again how valuable they viewed the skill of analyzing a problem using numeracy skills and quantitative ways of thinking. Economists who can unpack critical data, use it to project what will happen, but importantly also tell a story that inspires good decisions seems to play positively in career advancement. We also heard about how influential a positive relationship between a student and their professors was when learning economics. Maya Angelou’s insight that “… people will never forget how you make them feel” seems apt as a description of situations where learning is the goal. In the end, we heard about how to respond well to change, using the skills and a growth mindset to pivot productively.
In responding to what we learned, we have collaborated with the University of Waterloo Economics Society to offer a unique event this November 1st the Economics Career Pathways Conference. Students from across the economics program will meet with invited alumni to hear the directions that an economics degree can open up to a person, with ample opportunities to ask questions about the tools that they should find valuable in building a pathway to their preferred career options. The aim of the conference is to show students the possibilities and exciting opportunities opened up by a degree in Economics from the University of Waterloo.
Our sincere thanks for robust insights and feedback from roundtable participants Greg Bauer (BA ’86), Stephane Carty (BA ’96), Arwin Dhingra (BA ’12), Brady Dodds (BA ’17), Gary Frankland (BA ’97), Cory George (BA ’01), Tony Gill (BA ’93), Alex Grozev (BA ’05), Steve Heck (MA ’93), Sakshi Jain (BA ’17), Linda Kong Ting (BA ’11), Mike La Fleur (BA ’03), Jennifer Lee (BA ’91), Chris Lowes (BA ’96), Deborah Moor (BA’86), Sandy Moroz (BA ’75), Jeff Nesbitt (BA ’97), Catherine Ouellette (BA ’93), Alpesh Patel (BA ’93), Trishala Pillai (BA ’16), Darin Renton (BA ’90), Sean Rozon (BA ’15), Elizabeth Seto (BA ‘12), Kimberly Shiffman (BA ’01), Rajat Suri (BA ’07), Tony Wagner (BA ’85), Kelly Wen (BA ’17).
If you are interested in sharing your insights about your undergraduate experience and career pathway with us, we’d be so grateful to hear from you. Please contact Phoebe Wong -- and thank you!
Waterloo Arts Distinguished Lecture in Economics
Last Fall 2023’s Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Rohini Pande, entitled “Inequality, externalities, and climate” brought together a number of urgent issues at the nexus of development and fairness; including a great response to a question about career pathways that serve climate goals. The lecture is available to view here. Thank you to Jolyon Burton and Bloom Burton & Company for making this excellent talk possible.
We look forward to a time when the Faculty of Arts can again offer the Distinguished Lecture. If you would like to help support a lecture, please contact Lutz Busch as we work on making it easier to direct your gift directly to the Economics Department.
At the UW Economics Society, our aim is to create opportunities for interaction and engagement among anyone interested in economics. We provide an enjoyable, accessible, and educational environment where people can get involved along with us, whether you are a student majoring in economics, or simply someone who wants to know more about the field. You are welcome!
Ultimately, we aim to foster the connections between students, faculty, and the economics sector broadly. We do this through events, newsletters, articles, contests, and more. Over the past year, the Economics Society has hosted educational workshops, informational panels, student and professor mixers, and more. We collaborate with the Economics Department and various clubs to bring unique events to the student body.
Our dedicated research team writes original articles and newsletters in-house, with regular posts, bonus content such as alumni showcases and economist spotlights to foster curiosity about economics.
Moving forward, a key theme is being ‘future ready’ through continuous improvement. With everything we do, we challenge each other to ask ‘What is working well?’ and ‘What could be changed for next time?’ We are always brainstorming and developing new ideas, and we are excited to see our future plans being brought into action, especially as many new students arrive in Fall.
Naturally, all of the Society’s achievements rely on our capable executive team. Whether it comes down to internal management, content creation, or hosting events, each member of the executive is a fellow student committed to serving the interests of the economics student body. Thank you to everyone involved with the UW Economics Society!
The UW Economics Society will be cohosting the Economics Career Pathways Conference in collaboration with the Economics Department on Friday, November 1st, 2024. This exciting opportunity is open to all undergraduate students looking to network with alumni and hear more about how to prepare now for a number of exciting career options in economics.
To meet the team, learn about upcoming events, and discover new content, follow us @uweconsoc on Instagram and check out our society's website. We’re excited to be seeing you on campus and at our events!
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please bring them up to us. You can email us anytime at uw.economics.society@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Carter Winch and Olivia Vanleeuwen
Co-Presidents of the University of Waterloo Economics Society (UWES)
A conversation with Geoff Malleck
This fall we mark the exceptional contributions that Professor Geoff Malleck has made to our department. Geoff is retiring well into his third decade in the Department of Economics after a successful 'first half' career as an entrepreneur. His teaching not only integrates the exceptional entrepreneurship proficiencies honed in the private sector, but also the valuable mistakes he made along the way. Mistakes define the entrepreneur.
Geoff’s capstone simulation course gives students the experience of running their own business, focusing on professional skill development. These include working in teams, critical thinking, decision making, and taking responsibility. His courses have helped students recognize the importance of building a personal brand – “putting the ‘you’ in entrepreneurship.” Professor Malleck has always maintained that he feels called to teaching. This has given him a way to leverage his legendary generosity to make a difference in the lives of learners. When students leave his course, they know how to ask good questions, to listen first, and to aim for a genuine collaboration built on curiosity and respect for people – the very values that bring Geoff to convocation twice a year to honour his students’ hard work. Geoff has said that teaching is “the most enjoyable thing I can think of – to see people defining and honing the passions that will drive their future.” Thank you, Geoff, for all you have taught us as your students, your colleagues, and your friends.
Professor Geoff Malleck (photo credit unknown)
A conversation with Trien Nguyen
This year we salute Dr. Trien Nguyen, who is retiring from the department after 40 years. Dr. Trien, as many students call him, brought a genuine love of teaching to a long career at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Trien’s door has always been open to new colleagues who have questions about a course he’s taught before. His research is concentrated on international trade policy and computational microeconomics with applications to resource allocation, among other practical problems in the policy realm. It was this passion for applying the tools of economics to practical problems that Dr. Trien used when guiding senior undergraduates through their capstone projects. His wit and winning smile were a pleasure to encounter. Our very best wishes for the future, and thank you for your contributions.
Dr. Trien Nguyen (photo credit unknown)
Congratulations to our Scholarship Recipients: We’re proud of UW Econ!
The inaugural award of the Sarah Inam Memorial Award went to a deserving undergraduate student whose experiences, achievements and commitments align with the values and priorities of the scholarship’s namesake. Sara Inam (BA’05, MA ’07) was a committed humanitarian working in international development who was taken from us far too early. Each award aims to support someone engaged in a path of extracurricular engagement and social justice.
The Jacqueline Armstrong Gates Scholarship in Economics
An undergraduate student demonstrating superior academic excellence in their time studying economics received the fourth Jacqueline Armstrong Gates Scholarship, generously funded by Ms. Gates in support of the pursuit of their highest potential.
The Alan Uffelmann Award in Economics
One high-achieving undergraduate student received financial support thanks to a generous legacy gift given by Alan Uffelmann (BA ’86 – Economics).
The Kenneth Stollery Memorial Graduate Award
Thanks to the legacy funds donated to honour the memory of Professor Ken Stollery, who taught here in the Department of Economics, a graduate student demonstrating academic excellence received this award. Dr. Stollery passed away in 2005.
The Nihar and Mina Bose Graduate Scholarship in Economics
A single graduate student demonstrating high academic achievement and financial need was named as recipient of this award which was generously funded by Professor Sukesh Ghosh and Mrs. Nandita Ghosh; the scholarship is named in honour of their late uncle and aunt.
Congratulations to our top students in the class of 2024!
Graduate Awards
This past April, we celebrated our exceptional Masters and Doctoral students at the 2023-2024 Graduate Awards Ceremony. It’s a casual event, held on campus at Grad House, but the honours are more than just collegial. Congratulations to all our students!
Achievement in Graduate Data Science (taught jointly by Dr. Stacey and Dr. Villers) Angel Novillo Moran
Achievement in Graduate Microeconomic Theory (taught by Dr. Forand) Yuxin Gong
Achievement in Graduate Macroeconomic Theory (taught by Dr. Stacey) Yuxin Gong
Achievement in Graduate Econometrics (taught by Dr. Parker) Yuxin Gong
Undergraduate Awards
This year saw some impressive undergraduate performances from the Class of 2024:
Departmental Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement (Arts)
It was a pleasure to name Mya Cousineau (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Economics, Arts and Business [Co-op]) to the Faculty of Arts as the Economics Department’s recipient in recognition of overall outstanding academic performance this year.
Honours Economics Award
This year, the Department of Economics recognized two people for outstanding academic achievement in the Honours Economics major. Selected to receive this award were Roa’a Hamed (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Economics) and Sophie Chu Sung (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Economics [Co-op]).
Senior Honours Essay Award
Each year we honour one student in the capstone Senior Honours Essay course for a simply outstanding project. It is a pleasure to recognize Jackson Woloschuk (Bachelor of Mathematics, Mathematical Economics Co-op, with a minor in Statistics) for his essay entitled “Using Game Theory to Optimize Pitch and Swing Decisions.”
At convocation this past spring, the graduating class’s valedictory speech was delivered by Ahmed Khalil (Bachelor of Arts, Honours Economics, Arts and Business [Co-op], Finance Specialization with minor in Entrepreneurship). All of these graduands earned their degrees through diligence and perseverance through online learning and the return to in-person classes, with determination and distinction. Congratulations to the Class of 2024! Please stay in touch - we always want to hear what you are up to!
Three ECONOMICS Doctoral degrees were conferred at convocation last June 13th: our newest colleagues are ZhuoJing Zhang, supervised by Tao Chen, John Baker, supervised by Jean-Paul Lam, and Iuliia Nesterova, supervised by Francisco Gonzalez. Iuliia is working as a Senior Research Scientist at Anheuser-Busch. John has a placement at the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, while ZhuoJing starts working as a lecturer at Jianghan University this month.
The challenges of completing a doctoral degree during a pandemic are hard to enumerate, but our new colleagues have expressed “endless thanks to my committee” and shared that “my time here has been filled with academic growth, personal development and many lasting memories.” We were gratified to know how much value came from “the wonderful support and interactions I’ve shared with faculty, staff and my fellow students.” It is a reminder of the impact hard work can have on worthy accomplishments.
Congratulations on earning your doctorates, and we wish you all the best with whatever is next for you!
Iuliia Nesterova (centre), with Pierre Chausse and Ana Ferrer. (Photo credit: Jean Guillaume Forand.)
This year fourteen Masters of Arts (Co-op) degrees were conferred at Convocation.
From left to right are graduands Fatima Rizvi, Anir Gupta, Ziyang Yi, Ruth-Ann Miller, David Gutenberg, Carmen Tachie-Menson, Chasse Archibald, Ashley Mo, Bobby Jarrett, Maira Asrar, Sumeet Dhatt, Pengyi Chen, capturing the moment with Dr. Curry at Convocation 2024. (Photo credit: Amanda Campbell.)
Thank you from our Graduate Students presenting their work in progress
The opportunity to present work in progress at a conference can be pivotal for a student. Our graduate students have allies in the alumni who have contributed to support them to get that experience. If you would like to help make opportunities like this possible, please contact Lutz Busch. Thank you for supporting Waterloo’s next generation of economists.
Want to Connect?
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The seminar webpage shows all upcoming and past visiting speakers. Everyone is welcome to attend our seminars – please email for details of how to join our virtual seminars.
- Have exciting news to share? We’d love to hear what you are up to!
- Interested in giving a talk? We also love welcoming our alumnae/i to our classes! (And with remote learning, it’s simple!)
- Want to be involved in networking or economic events? Please just ask!
- Want to contribute to our activities? Your donations help fund awards and lectures that make a difference. Please consider reaching out to support us – and thank you!
To connect, please email Lutz-Alexander Busch or Phoebe Wong (senior alumni engagement officer). To support us with a gift, please contact Kim Bardwell or donate online.
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