Contact Current Students

Hi! I am a fifth year PhD student in the economics department from Raleigh, NC. I am broadly interested in understanding the economic impacts of natural disasters. My current research focuses on wildfires, where I link detailed climate risk and disaster information to health outcomes and residential choice decisions. In addition to my work in the economics department, I am a demography trainee with the Center for Demography and Ecology (CDE) and the Center for the Demography of Health and Aging (CDHA). I’m happy to chat with you about applied micro at UW, interdisciplinary work, going to conferences, department culture, life in Madison, or anything else you’re curious about!

I’m a second-year student in the joint economics and finance program, interested in household finance. I’m from Minnesota and graduated from Kenyon College with a BA in economics. Before coming to Madison, I worked as an RA at the Boston Fed for three years. I’m happy to chat about the joint finance program, starting the PhD with a liberal arts background, life in Madison, and anything else that’ll help make your grad school decision easier!

Hey there! I’m a third-year student in the joint program in Economics and Finance. I’m from Toronto, Canada. After studying Economics at the University of Toronto, I worked at the Bank of Canada, the Canadian central bank, as an RA and Analyst for almost 4 years. My research interests are in financial IO. I’m happy to talk about the first-year courses, the joint program, being an international student, surviving freezing winters, and anything else on your mind!

Hi! I am a fourth-year student from Brazil. I have bachelor’s degrees in international relations and in economics from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), and a master’s in economics from the Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). I also worked at the Rio Grande do Sul State Government and at a fintech (Stone) before moving with my wife to the US to start the PhD. My field is Industrial Organization, and I am broadly interested in using IO tools to study lending markets. In my main research project, I study the role of search frictions and asymmetric information in auto loans in Brazil. I also have a paper on oil and gas auctions, in which I estimate the costs of policies requiring the participation of domestic suppliers, also in Brazil. I would be happy to chat about the program, living in Madison, and about moving to the US with a partner.

Hi! I’m a fourth-year student from Charlottesville, Virginia. Prior to grad school I got my B.A. in Economics with a minor in English from the University of Virginia in 2019 and then moved to Washington DC to work as an RA at the Federal Reserve Board for two years. I study applied micro in our public group and focus on government assistance programs. I’m happy to talk about our people and program, TA/RA work, Madison, how you’re making your grad school decision, and whatever else you want to discuss.

Hey there! I’m a fourth-year macro student. I graduated from Barnard College in 2016 with my BA in econ and received my MS in econ from Georgetown in 2020. I worked in consulting in LA (where I’m from) and DC before I found myself in Madison. I began the program thinking I would study labor but found my way into macro where I research student loans and other aspects of household finance. I’d be more than happy to talk about figuring out your field, working with professors, what it’s like to TA, or anything else about the graduate student experience. Feel free to email me at mseley@wisc.edu.

Hi! I am a second-year student from Mexico. Before coming to UW, I obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science, and a master’s degree in economics from ITAM. I also worked for a few years in the central bank of Mexico. My research interests are macroeconomics and finance. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the PhD program, housing or anything regarding the experience of studying in Madison.

I’m a fifth-year student originally from rural Washington State (Republic, WA). I studied Economics at Western Washington University for my BA and at the University of Toronto for my MA. I worked as an RA at the Richmond Fed’s Baltimore branch for a few years before entering the PhD program. I study topics related to Real Estate, Urban Economics, and Industrial Organization. Feel free to ask me any questions, but I can speak personally to the experiences of being a TA and/or RA in your first year; transitioning to the program after working for a few years; and moving to Madison with a dog and/or a partner and/or as an avid runner. I’m happy to answer any questions related to the department or my experiences here.

I am a third-year Ph.D. student from Germany. Before coming to Madison, I obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Bonn University. There, I also worked as a research assistant/programmer at a statistics institute. My research interests lie in theoretical econometrics and mathematical statistics, and I am currently studying the nonparametric estimation of causal parameters such as CATE. I am also interested in the econometric applications of a mathematical field called optimal transport. If you want to know more about my experience studying in Madison or how I got here, please email me or look at my website jakobjuergens.com

Hi, I am a fifth-year Ph.D. student from Cuba. I majored in computer science and math at the University of Havana. Prior to UW-Madison, I was living in Mexico City, earning my master’s degree in economics at CIDE. I’m primarily interested in research topics at the intersection of IO and finance. I would be glad to answer any questions you have.

Hey there! I am a second-year Ph.D student from China. I finished my undergrad at Central University of Finance and Economics, and my master’s at UW-Madison. I am currently interested in international economics and macroeconomics. I would be glad to make new friends and share my experiences here. Feel free to drop me an email at xli2394@wisc.edu.

Hello! I am a current first year student in the joint Economics and Urban/Real Estate program. I am interested in topics related to education and housing, and general applied micro. I grew up in Oregon and got my BS in Economics and Mathematics (minor in Poli Sci) at the University of Oregon. Before coming to Wisconsin, I spent 2 years as a predoc for Joseph Altonji and John Eric Humphries. I am happy to talk about my experience in the first year, why I chose UW, the joint urban/real estate program, moving to (and living in) Madison, or anything else that you are interested to know. Feel free to reach out!

Hello! I am a fifth-year student in the joint program in economics and finance. I work with U.S. administrative data in the Wisconsin Research Data Center, and study macroeconomics by bringing highly detailed micro data to macro models. I have ongoing projects studying eviction policy, carbon taxes, consumer credit, and the economic impact of changes in idiosyncratic income risk. My job market paper will be on the interaction of financial frictions and the transmission of shocks from firms to their workers. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about macroeconomics at Wisconsin, working with administrative data, or surviving the Wisconsin winter!

Hi! I am a first-year student in the Economics PhD program from India. I completed my undergraduate studies in India and have a master’s degree from the LSE. Before coming to Madison, I worked as an RA in London and in Stockholm. My interests are broadly in applied microeconomics, particularly in public economics. I am happy to talk about life in Madison, navigating the first year, adjusting to a new place (especially if you’re an international student), or anything else you might be curious about 🙂

Hi, I’m a third-year student originally from a suburb of Madison. I got a BA in Economics and English from UW-Madison and then spent a few years as an RA at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland before returning to UW. I am interested in labor and public, and I have a background in education policy research. Feel free to ask me about living in Madison, the campus community, transitioning from work to being a student again, or generally about the program!