Alumni Newsletter September 2013
News from the Chair
Greetings from the Chair! I am so pleased to bring you the Economics Department's new Alumni Newsletter. As I finish my third year as Chair, I am happy to report that our efforts to recover from the turmoil of the 2008 financial crisis have largely been successful. Through key hires at the senior level, increased retention, and many new junior hires, we are now challenging the top 3 Canadian Economics Departments and place well inside the top 100 internationally.
To continue our charge forward, we will direct more of our efforts outward: to connect with you, our alumni, to network our students with better opportunities, to communicate research solutions to the private and public sectors, and to raise the Department's international profile as we seek support for these initiatives. This alumni newsletter is a first step in reaching out and reintroducing the Department to you with updates on our undergraduate and graduate programs, an introduction to our new Master of Financial Economics (MFE) program, and research profiles on John Whalley and the CIBC Centre for Human Capital and Productivity.
For many years, Western Economics was a destination for students interested in studying monetary policy and international economics. That tradition still continues with the work of John Whalley through his Ontario Research Fund grant. Over the life of this grant, Western Economics has welcomed dozens of post-docs from China and has supported the research of several PhD students. We are proud of John and his work and are pleased that he was recently recognized for his achievements in winning the 2012 Killam Prize.
In addition to maintaining strengths in international economics, microeconomic theory, and macroeconomics, Western Economics has also developed a new strength in empirical microeconomics. Crossing fields within economics to study issues related to the formation of skills, innovation and firm productivity, the Department’s CIBC Centre for Human Capital and Productivity has grown into a world-renowned group of 16 researchers in labour economics, development economics, industrial organization, and macroeconomics.
The Department has also branched into an exciting interdisciplinary initiative with the start of our new MFE program. We are thrilled to welcome its first class this fall.
While I am thankful for the progress we have made over the past decade, much more needs to be done. Yet, it will not be easy to advance on these gains. Competition is steep with UBC opening the new Vancouver School of Economics, U of T investing in its School of Public Policy and Governance, and US schools with deep pockets starting to look north again for hiring opportunities.
To keep moving forward, I would like to ask for your help and support. First and foremost, we aim to strengthen the links between you, our alumni, and the Department, including faculty and current students. We know many of you are engaged in exciting careers. Come back and share your experiences to let students know the value of an economics education at Western. Attending Economics Career night for our undergraduates is a great new way to do this. Even if you can’t make it back to Western, let us know about any new changes in your life that you would like to share with your fellow alumni in future newsletters or on our Alumni Updates webpage.
As you know, Western Economics produces world leaders in economic thinking. Let your company know about our new MFE program and encourage the development of new opportunities through internships and placements for both undergraduate and graduate students. We are happy to provide you with any information you may need to find the right person for any new positions your institution may open up.
And, of course, new faculty and research centres do not come cheap. With tightening provincial budgets and growing global competition, your donations matter more than ever. Please help by donating to our endowment fund or contact us to discuss how you or your firm can help in our fundraising efforts.
Most importantly, we ask you to stay in touch! We would love to hear from you. To connect with us, check out our new Alumni website and update your profile, join us at our Homecoming event, send us an email, or stop in for a visit.
Until then, remember...the world demands...WESTERN supplies.
Audra Bowlus
Professor and Chair
Return to the Economics Alumni Newsletter on the web.
