University of St. Thomas - Department of Economics

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University of St. Thomas - Department of Economics Welcome to the St. Thomas Economics page! Welcome to the University of St. Thomas Economics Department page.

The intent of this page is to share information regarding the department with current students and alumni, while also highlighting how economic ideas are pervasive in our everyday lives. Our "terms of use," to borrow from UST's official page: "Keeping with the nature of Facebook being an open interactive environment, we invite you to share, comment, and interact with our page. We would like to remind you that we will not tolerate any solicitation or profane, vulgar, obscene, libelous or defamatory comments and remarks. We reserve the right to remove any content that we feel is not appropriate. We would also like to remind you that any content that you find on the University of St. Thomas page is the property of UST and is subject to all applicable copyright and trademark laws."

It is time again for one of our favorite social media series! Shining a spotlight on our amazing tutors! Will Berg is on...
10/22/2026

It is time again for one of our favorite social media series! Shining a spotlight on our amazing tutors!

Will Berg is one of our returning tutors, and he has been a joy to work with. He has shown that he is not only an incredible resource for the students in our principles courses, but also a professional and dedicated team player. He has often covered shifts when other tutors are sick or in need of a little extra study time themselves.

Professor Monica Hartman said, "I had the privilege of having him in my class, where I saw that he was an extremely smart and curious person."

Will is graduating at the end of this year and is in the market for an analytics job! He would be a wonderful addition to any team, so if you're hiring, sn**ch him up while you can! While we will be sad to see him go, we know that he will excel wherever he goes. Thank you for all your hard work!

Our department continues to shine! A recently published New York Times article, “A College-by-College Guide to Which Maj...
10/20/2026

Our department continues to shine!

A recently published New York Times article, “A College-by-College Guide to Which Majors Pay Off — or Don’t”, tracked students who received federal financial aid and graduated during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 academic years, looking at earnings by major and institution.

The tool they created is interactive, allowing you to add schools to see a comparison, and in doing so, we found some exciting statistics. According to the New York Times report, St. Thomas Economics graduates earn more than Economics graduates at our local competitors, including Carleton and Macalester!

It is incredibly fulfilling to have an independent, national data point that speaks to the value of a St. Thomas Economics degree. It is a testament to our department, the University, and our wonderful alumni who continue to help the next generation of Tommies succeed.

Data analysis is only half the story. The real question is: “So what?”Minnemudac, partnering with The Food Group, challe...
10/19/2026

Data analysis is only half the story. The real question is: “So what?”

Minnemudac, partnering with The Food Group, challenged students to turn real-world data into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations on food security.

It was a pleasure to mentor Duc Cuong Nguyen, Uyen Thy Duong, Pratham Snehi, and Will Van Buren. They have a bright future!

I also enjoyed serving as a judge alongside Tyler Schipper, Suzanne Wisniewski, and others. Thanks to all the judges and especially the organizers who devoted their time to supporting all the students.

Congratulations to the winning teams! And kudos to all the students who put their analytical skills to work on a real-world challenge. A great Saturday of data, collaboration, and impact!

For more information on the competition: https://minneanalytics.org/minneanalytics-partners-with-the-food-group-to-take-on-food-insecurity-for-minnemudac-2026/

MinneAnalytics

What a joy to reconnect with former students and seeing where their journeys take them.We were especially fortunate to w...
10/18/2026

What a joy to reconnect with former students and seeing where their journeys take them.

We were especially fortunate to welcome Maria Vitale back to campus while she was in town! She joined the Economics Club to share her journey from studying economics to building a career in finance in New York City and now Australia.

Thank you Maria for sharing your experiences and insights with our students. It was wonderful to catch up, and we hope you will visit again soon.

What can you do with an Economics degree? Sometimes the best people to answer that question are the graduates who have b...
10/15/2026

What can you do with an Economics degree? Sometimes the best people to answer that question are the graduates who have been there themselves.

At our Putting Economics to Work: Careers in Business panel, St. Thomas alumni Reid Bjork, Kate Gustafson, and Alyssa Toay returned to campus to share their career journeys, lessons learned, and advice for students preparing to enter the workforce.

Working in health care, reinsurance, and AI and automation, they demonstrated just how many directions an Economics degree can take you. They also reassured students that you don’t need to have your entire career mapped out to succeed and highlighted how the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills developed through studying economics translate across industries.

The students’ reflections captured why conversations like these matter:
🟣“The biggest takeaway for me from this event was the value of studying economics is not only about the specific stuff we learn but it is also about approaching problems and solving them.” — Zion Roman
🟣“You don’t have to know [right now] what you want to do and where you want to work to be successful coming out of college.” — Lauren Juarie
🟣“Economics teaches you how to think and not what to think. This was a very valuable takeaway for me, as I feel that critical thinking is a dying skill with the growth of AI. Knowing that there is still value in this skill was useful insight for me.— Emma Carlson

Alyssa Toay inspired Calvin Ingelby to explore additional computer science or data courses for those skills could help him with his own business, Dorm & Basket Co. and hopes to connect with them to continue learning from their experiences.

Reid, Kate, and Alyssa, thank you for making time to reconnect with St. Thomas and help our students envision what their own futures might hold. Your willingness to share not just your successes but also how you found your way makes these conversations especially valuable.

Congratulations to Joaquin Santiago on his poster presentation at the Inquiring Poster Session (IPS)! Joaquin, an Excel!...
10/14/2026

Congratulations to Joaquin Santiago on his poster presentation at the Inquiring Poster Session (IPS)! Joaquin, an Excel! Research Scholar, spent the summer researching his topic, "Does Good Policy Still Drive Aid Effectiveness?"

We asked Joaquin about his experience at the IPS, and this is what he had to say: "It was meaningful to have the opportunity to present an important topic to people who wanted to learn more. I also enjoyed hearing questions and comments from other perspectives, allowing me to reflect on my own work in a new way."

Dr. Tyler Schipper, Joaquin's faculty mentor, commented, "I love Joaquin's research question. Understanding how development aid impacts economic growth is as important as ever given the recent dismantling of USAID. I enjoyed seeing Joaquin struggle with both what his research showed - and what it couldn't show."

Congratulations on the culmination of your hard work!

Congratulations to Suzanne Wisniewski and her co-authors Aryaputra, Calvin, Paul Glewwe, and Jovin Lasway on the recent ...
10/13/2026

Congratulations to Suzanne Wisniewski and her co-authors Aryaputra, Calvin, Paul Glewwe, and Jovin Lasway on the recent publication of their paper, Teachers in Developing Countries. In Steve Bradley and Colin Green (Eds.), The Economics of Education, 3rd Edition, A Comprehensive Overview. Academic Press. This paper reviewed 88 rigorous, high-quality studies of impact evaluations on teaching and teacher interventions in developing countries, published from 1990 – 2024, to learn what policies and programs work to increase a student’s time in school. The findings, which vary by country, policy, and outcome, provide valuable information on the effectiveness of programs designed to increase student time in school and student learning.

Terry Langan has taught the concept of "inferior goods" for decades. One of his teaching points has always been to ask s...
10/09/2026

Terry Langan has taught the concept of "inferior goods" for decades. One of his teaching points has always been to ask students to name something they purchase now in significant amounts but expect to buy less once they land a great salary. The answer is always instant ramen. Always.

This semester, the students asked Terry if he'd ever tried it. He hadn't! (We were just as shocked as his students.)

One of the students, respectfully, asked if Terry would consider trying the microwaved delicacy (chicken flavor, naturally). Without hesitation, Terry agreed. A few days later, he arrived at the office carrying his own bowl and that telltale orange package. At lunchtime, after three minutes in the microwave, he took his first bite of the most-named "inferior good". Verdict: he gets it. That's what going the extra mile for your students looks like.

Thank you to the Economics Club of Minnesota for a great start to the year’s events. Eleven of our students attended the...
10/07/2026

Thank you to the Economics Club of Minnesota for a great start to the year’s events. Eleven of our students attended the luncheon featuring Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, President & CEO, Mayo Clinic.

One of our majors, Anh (Happy) Phan, had this to say: “It was such a great opportunity to be able to attend the luncheon, where I was able to hear from Dr. Farrugia about the wonderful work that Mayo Clinic has been doing and their vision for future development. I had a great time connecting with my peers and other professionals, and I really enjoyed being able to learn from everyone’s experiences and perspectives."

We look forward to all the events to come this year!

Thank you so much to the alumni who helped make this latest round of Mock Interviews possible! This event has proven to...
10/06/2026

Thank you so much to the alumni who helped make this latest round of Mock Interviews possible! This event has proven to be invaluable to our students time and time again, and we could not do it without them.

One of this year’s participants, Will Berg, said, “I am really glad I participated in the mock interviews put on by the Economics Department. I was able to gain valuable insight into how to present myself in a real-world scenario. The alumni gave me great advice on what to talk about during interviews and how to improve my resume. Additionally, I was able to ask them, both professionals in their industries, about their careers thus far and how to make the most of my remaining time at St. Thomas. This was a great learning opportunity I will not soon forget.”

We are so grateful for the new and returning faces who allow us to offer this learning experience. Thank you!

Phil Bastron, Tom Boland, Chris Collins, Sebastian Correal, Jim Gabrielson, Betsy Kloiber, Matt Mons, Regina Terres, and David Varhol.

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2115 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN
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