 Natalie Cutter (’23) is a senior double majoring in Economics and Psychology. She has always been fascinated by human behavior and has taken a diverse approach to understanding why we make the decisions we do from a psychological standpoint, as well as economic theories predicting how people will behave under different market conditions. She decided to up her economics minor to a major after taking Microeconomics with Professor McFall. She found her passion through writing assignments that presented her the opportunity to apply ideas about people’s preferences and resource allocation in explaining behavior. She is currently working on an Honors Thesis with Professor McFall, analyzing the efficiency of betting markets in professional tennis, that has allowed her to apply ideas about risk and tournament theory to delve deeper into her love for sports. Some of her favorite classes have been Sports Economics, Behavioral Economics, and Economics of the Environment. Her favorite part about the major is the relationships that she has built with numerous professors in the department, and how engaged and present they are with students. Outside of classes, she has spent time as captain of the club field hockey team, worked on the executive board of her sorority, and enjoys running and playing tennis in her free time. After graduation, she will be returning to Boston working as a Category Manager for Wayfair, and hopes to continue working on research in her future. |
 Mihai Nistor (‘23) is an Economics and Finance double major. His interest in economics stems from curiosity surrounding market drivers and how we choose to allocate resources. Some of Mihai’s favorite classes include International Trade with Professor Dalton and History of Economic Thought with Professor Whaples. What makes him enjoy the major most, especially the classes listed above, is the application of economic thought to a diverse range of topics. As a senior, he is now working on his honors thesis examining the effects of insider ownership on firm performance under the guidance of Professor Rotarescu. Outside of class, he enjoys playing golf and participating in intramural sports as well as applying his experiences in the economics department as a tutor in the Student-Athlete Services office. After graduation, he will be moving to Vienna, Austria, where he will work as an Investment Banking M&A Intern at Raiffeisen Bank International. |
 Andrew Carrere (‘23) is a double major in Economics and English with a minor in Interdisciplinary Writing. He feels that the versatile nature of the field makes it a valuable pairing with any number of other areas of study. What he finds most fulfilling about Economics is its more abstract sociological and behavioral component. It provides a new perspective from which to view scarcity, how money functions in society, various sociopolitical processes, and the choices individual people make on a daily basis. His passion for Economics began when he realized that it largely coincides with why he’s drawn to English and writing courses. Much like an English and writing, the Economics major enables one to interpret the world in fresh and distinctive ways. The Economics major equips a student to confront massive pools of miscellaneous information, holistically interpret that information, then wring out some meaningful conclusions. In many ways, Economics and the humanities are disciplines that focus on interpreting and contending with the many nuances of human behavior. |
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 Molly Anderson (’23) is an Economics and Environmental Science double major at Wake, which she chose out of a passion for understanding the world around her- both from a natural perspective and a human financial perspective. She decided to major in economics after taking Macroeconomics with Dr. Cottrell, which she enjoyed because it pushed her to employ a more global perspective in her education. Molly was a participant in Wake Forest’s Global AWAKEnings program, which provides first year students the opportunity to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark for their entire freshman year. Outside of the department, she is involved as a Global Ambassador and Social Media Coordinator in the Center for Global Programs & Studies, Treasurer for the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, Vice President of Panhellenic Relations for Alpha Delta Pi, and is a general member of the Wake Forest Mock Trial team and Alpha Phi Omega. This summer, she will be interning with Global Endowment Management as a Client Strategy Analyst, and plans to go into corporate sustainability after graduating. |
 Braden Strackman (‘23) is a double major in Economics and Mathematics with a minor in Statistics. He decided to major in economics after taking ECN 211 with Dr. Chen and ECN 210 with Dr. Dalton. He has particularly enjoyed exploring the applications of economic theory and knowledge to current and future issues, which inspired him to join the department’s Federal Reserve Challenge Team. Since his sophomore year, he’s had the privilege of working with Dr. Amresh Hanchate, an economist at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, investigating disparate impacts of health policy, specifically Medicaid. He’s also researched international migration as it pertains to labor and economic development at the Cato Institute. Aside from his work in economics, Braden also serves as the Student Government Speaker of the House and is a member of Alpha Phi Omega. This summer he looks forward to working as a research intern at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in economics after graduation. |
 Camden Walrath (‘23) is a major in Economics with a minor in Japanese. After taking AP Economics his senior year he knew that’s what he wanted to major in. His first Economics classes taught by Professor MacDonald – Microeconomics I, American Economics Development, and Microeconomics II – confirmed his love for economics and its ability to change the way that you think and view the world by teaching you to analyze almost all facets of life using cost benefit analysis and resource allocation. He became interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Economics while taking Professor Yu’s Econometrics course and as a result, applied and was selected to attend the 2022 Public Choice Conference in Nashville. Through his Theory of Social Choice and Public Choice courses he learned about the expansive influence of Economics into other disciplines. Outside of the classroom, he is also a cadet in the Wake Forest’s Army ROTC program and through the Simultaneous Membership Program, concurrently holds the position of Executive Officer (XO) in an Army Reserves unit in North Carolina. He will be studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan during the fall of 2023. |
 Nick Zuga (’24) is a major in Economics with a double minor in Politics & International Affairs and Global Trade & Commerce Studies. Nick was first introduced to economics as a senior in high school and was hooked instantly by its fusion of markets, politics, and mathematics. His primary academic focus is the comparative development of advanced nations through a lens of political economy. Nick pursued his interest in economics outside of the classroom by conducting an independent research project in the summer of 2021. He has also diversified his understanding of economics with study abroad opportunities at the London School of Economics and the University of Cambridge. In the summer of 2023, he will be working at Bank of America as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions team in New York, NY. Outside of the classroom, Nick is a Stamps Scholar, the Teaching Assistant for Dr. Amanda Griffith’s Applied Econometrics course, Treasurer of the Philomathesian Society, and member of the Club Water Polo team. |
 Aman Khemlani (’24) is a double major in Economics and Mathematical Statistics with a minor in Politics and International Affairs. As he moved around a lot in his youth within the US and abroad, the dynamics of how different countries and states handled financial and development issues always fascinated him. When he took his first economics class in high school he was exposed to the intersection of human development and the overall creation of wealth in an economy backed by statistical rigor. That is when his continuous fascination with economics grew, leading him to major in Economics. Since the beginning of his Economics journey at Wake, he has been able to apply macroeconomic and microeconomic perspectives to everyday problems and news. He has worked as a data analytics intern for Strategic Marketing Innovations and for the summer of 2023 will be working at C + R Research as a Quantitative Analytics Intern in Chicago, IL. Outside of the classroom, Aman currently serves as The President of The Hindu Student Association, Treasurer of Alpha Phi Omega, A Student Engagement consultant in The Office of Student Engagement, and a member of the Student Organization Judicial Assembly in The Judicial Branch of Student Government. |
 Sofia Ramirez Pedroza (‘24) is a major in Economics with a double minor in Entrepreneurship and Communications. From a young age, Sofia has been fascinated by the intersection of problem solving and logically sound mathematical reasoning, and upon being introduced to economics in high school, she knew she had found her calling. Before arriving at Wake, Sofia had shared impassioned conversations over the subject with Dr. Amanda Griffith and attended Dr. Todd McFall’s Behavioral Economics course, both ultimately validating her desire to study here. Since then, Sofia has learned to incorporate the area of study into her everyday life, whether this is from an econometric or microeconomic lens, and hopes her perspective will prove fundamental beyond her time at Wake. Finally, through economic research conducted for the USGA under Dr. McFall in Spring 2022, she cemented her lifelong dream to pursue a career in the sports business industry after graduation. Outside of the classroom, Sofia currently serves as a Program Manager for an industry leader in the sports ticketing sector, a dual Stamps & Leadership and Character Scholar, and a member of Kappa Beta Gamma sorority. |
Tarak Duggal (’25) is a major in Economics with a double minor in Politics & International Affairs and Middle East & South Asia Studies. Tarak’s interest in economics is rooted in his deep passion for both politics and finance and was accelerated when he took ECN 150 with Dr. Robert Whaples during his Freshman year. Tarak enjoys understanding the complexities of economics and the important role it plays in both global affairs and policy decisions in the United States. He spent this past summer as an intern at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services where he saw first-hand how economics plays a critical role in healthcare policy. Outside of the classroom, Tarak is currently the President of the Young Democrats of Forsyth County, President of the Quiz Bowl club, a Student Ambassador for the Program for Leadership and Character, and a member of the Society of Economists. Tarak is also active with the Boxing Club and is a practice player for the Wake Forest Women’s Basketball team.