Majors 2020
|
|
 Felton Hatcher (’20) is a Mathematical Economics major with a Psychology minor. Felton decided to continue with economics after taking Professor Whaples introductory class as a freshman. He is interested in using mathematical and economic thinking to uniquely approach problems. These interests were nurtured by courses like Professor Strumpf’s Prediction Markets class, Professor Heckelman’s class on Public Choice, and Professors Chen & Jiang’s class covering Dynamic Programming. Outside of the classroom, Felton has been involved with Lambda Chi Alpha, serving as their President for the 2018 calendar year. He was also previously on the Project Pumpkin Steering Committee and plans to be an active participant in the event this year. Lastly, Felton is thrilled to be serving as one of three Wake ‘N Shake Overall Co-Chairs for this year’s event.
|
 James Lee (’20) is a double major in Economics and Physics. Driven to better understand the world, he instantly fell in love with how Economics explains the “why” behind human actions on a microscopic and macroscopic scale. In the past, Lee has conducted research on front-end debt-to-income ratios immediately before the Great Recession and is currently a member of the College Fed Challenge team. Additionally, Lee conducts research in Organic Electronics and is a member of Sigma Pi Sigma and the Mixed Martial Arts club. Lee’s favorite book is Freakonomics and he is a regular listener of Freakonomics Radio. He has also studied abroad at Wake Forest’s Casa Artom in Venice, Italy, as well as at National Cheng-Kung University under the Taiwan-US Alliance Scholarship. This summer, James plans to study Mandarin Chinese at Soochow University under the Critical Language Scholarship. |
 James Ridgeway (’20) is a double major in Mathematics and Economics with a minor in Computer Science. He was drawn to Economics after taking Dr. Whaples’ Introductory and Environmental Economics classes. He is interested in using math within economics to explain and solve real world problems. His desire to fix these problems led him to work with our Engineering Department to research the industrial uses of bamboo on the Walter Bradley Grant. He will also attend the London School of Economics where he will take Macro during the summer of 2018. On campus, he is an Outdoor Pursuits leader, the rush chair/warden of Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity, and a Residential Advisor. |
|
Caroline Tompson (’20) is an Economics major and Politics & International Affairs minor. She became interested in economics at the end of her freshman year as a means to better understand how the world works and why people act the way they do. Her love of the “dismal science” was cemented in Dr. Regan’s econometrics and Dr. McFall’s Micro 1 classes. The challenges and complexities of economics have furthered her passion, especially in regards to public and poverty. Her love of economics led her to work as an econometrics teaching assistant in the fall of 2018. On campus she is a shift leader, and regular volunteer, for Campus Kitchen, and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She has also studied abroad at the Worrell House in London. Her favorite podcast is The Indicator from Planet Money. |
 Amanda Wilcox (’20) is an Economics major with a minor in History. Much to the chagrin of her economist father, she was initially resistant to the idea of studying economics, until a life-changing AP Economics teacher bit her with the bug (shout out to Mr. Orzel). She loves the way that economics explains how people think and how the world works, and as a political junkie, she is interested in its applications to public policy. She especially loves monetary policy and macroeconomics and is a member of the College Fed Challenge team. In terms of her historical interests, she has specialized in the American Revolutionary era. On campus, she is Online Managing Editor of the Old Gold & Black, a weekly political op-ed columnist, an active member of the club swim team and a President’s Aide. She also interned for two summers at the PBS NewsHour, researching state voting laws and budget reconciliation, and is interning at the Council of Economic Advisers for the summer of 2018.
|
Yuzi (Dean ) Zhang (’20) is an Economics major with minors in Psychology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. He was reluctant to pursue a major in Economics as he was exploring other academic interests during his freshman year. Zhang studied abroad at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in his sophomore year while taking introductory Economics classes. After taking Dr. Graczyk’s Intermediate Macroeconomics and Dr. Flanagan’s Law and Economics at Wake, Economics fascinated him and he then became an Economics major. Economics speaks to Zhang as it helps him further understand the world and develops skills to potentially solve real-world problems. He also has a keen interest in the U.S. legal system and his favorite podcasts are Oyez’s Supreme Court Oral Arguments and NPR’s Planet Money. This summer, Zhang is working with Dr. Regan and Dr. Leung to research on the residential zoning change and its impact on local housing market. |
|
|
Alex Cohen (’20) is a double major in Economics and Politics & International Affairs with a minor in Statistics. His interest in poverty and foreign aid has driven his interest in economics. The main impetus for his decision to major in Economics was Professor Cottrell’s macroeconomics class and Dr. Griffith’s econometrics class. Their classes pushed him to become a better student, while deepening his love for economics. During the summer of 2017 he interned for a law firm in New York, and this summer, 2018, he is studying Joseph Schumpeter in Vienna with Dr. John Dalton. On campus, he is the treasurer of Alpha Phi Omega, as well as, the treasurer for club squash. He is an active member in the Student Fund and will be a Student Adviser this up coming fall. Outside of Wake Forest, he has volunteered for the Special Olympics for several years. His work with the Special Olympics has shaped the person he is today in many ways. 
Majors 2021
 Meghan Collins (’21) is majoring in Economics with minors in Statistics and Spanish. She became interested in Economics after taking ECN 150 and wanted to further understand what motivates market decisions at both the individual and societal levels. After taking Econometrics, she realized her passion for analyzing the relationships between statistical data and Economic trends. She became involved with the Economics department both as a teaching assistant and as a research assistant and enjoys collaborating with both students and faculty through a shared love of Economics. Outside of her work with the department, she was treasurer of the Women in Economics club, an ambassador in admissions, a student advisor, and a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She will be studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain during the fall of 2019. |