Recent News
Governor Jay Inslee's appointed David Schumacher to the University of Washington Board of Regents. Armed with both bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Washington, Schumacher's deep academic roots intertwine with his extensive experience in management, budgeting, and public policy, providing a solid foundation for his role. His tenure as the director of Washington's Office of Financial Management, coupled with his prior roles in state service and the private… Read more
As the Department of Economics, we embrace the spirit of philanthropy on Husky Giving Day 2024, uniting with alumni, students, faculty, and friends to make a profound impact. This year, our focus remains on empowering student success, driving innovation, and enhancing the Husky experience. From scholarships that alleviate financial burdens to funding for groundbreaking research, every contribution propels us toward a brighter future for our students and our community. Together on April 4th, let… Read more
The Paul Heyne Seminar, organized by the Economics Undergraduate Board (EUB), celebrates the impactful legacy of the late Paul Heyne in undergraduate economics education. This quarterly lecture series serves as a platform for faculty members to delve into diverse economic topics, echoing Heyne's commitment to inspiring students and fostering intellectual curiosity. Recent seminars, such as Isabelle Cohen's examination of technology's role in tax compliance in Pakistan, highlight the series'… Read more
In a recent New York Times op-ed, UW graduate student Ryan Cummings, a former economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, alongside Brian Deese and Jonathan Gruber from M.I.T., discusses the fiscal and healthcare implications of revolutionary weight-loss drugs. Highlighting the potential of these drugs to address America's obesity… Read more
For the first time since 2020, the UW Office of Global Affairs hosted the return of the Study Abroad Fair. This typically annual event invites UW academic departments to represent and promote their programs and exchanges, and is very popular for students who are exploring their options to study abroad.
The Department of Economics sponsors six bilateral exchange programs with renowned partner institutions across the globe – Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France; Free University of Bozen-… Read more
2023 was an exciting year for research in the Department of Economics. We were the proud hosts of four conferences in multiple economic fields, drawing attendance from around the world. Several of our graduate students had the opportunity to present their research at these gatherings.
Research is a cornerstone of our graduate program, with many of our students presenting at seminars and conferences at UW and beyond. Presenting… Read more
The Department of Economics celebrated the retirements of three faculty members this quarter. Professors Emeriti Robert Halvorsen, Haideh Salehi-Esfahani, and Michelle Turnovsky have each made a unique impact on our community. We spoke with them to learn more about their time at UW and their favorite memories from Economics.
Robert Halvorsen
Robert Halvorsen began teaching at UW in 1972. The courses he most enjoyed teaching were those focused on using economics to improve public policy,… Read more
The Department of Economics was proud to host the Econometrics and Optimal Transport Workshop from June 12-14, 2023. Optimal transport (OT) is the problem of transporting one distribution/shape of mass to another as efficiently as possible, relative to a given cost function. Thanks to its solid mathematical theory and recent breakthroughs in the development of efficient computational algorithms, OT-based… Read more
University of Washington is home to many opportunities for students to expand their learning outside of the classroom. Economics students have long been involved across campus, and we are proud to share some of their recent accomplishments.
The Undergraduate Research Symposium is an opportunity for undergraduates to share their research in poster sessions, panels, and individual presentations with the greater UW community.… Read more
The Department of Economics is proud to announce our 2023 Distinguished Alumnus, Wing Suen (‘88)! Wing will return to University of Washington to give the keynote speech at the Department of Economics graduation ceremony on June 6, 2023.
Wing earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 1985, and his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington in 1988. He… Read more