The Department of Economics extends its congratulations to our 2016 Bachelor's, Master's, and Docotoral degree recipients. More than 150 graduates were honored at the annual department graduation celebration on June 8 at the HUB ballroom.
- High-resolution photos from the ceremony and the photobooths are available for free download, courtesy of the Department of Economics.
- 2016 Graduate Awards Ceremony Program
- 2016 Department Graduation Ceremony Program
The keynote address at commencement was given by alumnus Tim Jenkins, BA '86, co-founder and CEO Emeritus of Point B, Inc. In his talk, Tim urged students to engage in productive and meaningful pursuits throughout their lives. A volunteer mentor to our undergraduates and member of the Economics Visiting Committee, Tim joins an impressive group of alumni whose professional achievements and cumulative contributions have brought personal distinction, enhanced the profession, improved the welfare of the general public, and brought honor to the department and the UW.
The Kathy Gehrt Memorial Economics Volunteer Service Award was presented to alumnus J. David Griswold, BA '79, for his many years of active involvement with the department as an undergraduate mentor and Chair of the Economics Visiting Committee for five years.
The Henry T. Buechel Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching was presented to Lecturer Dennis O'Dea. Dr. O'Dea joined the department fall 2012 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he completed his PhD in economics in 2010. His research interests include applied microeconomics, social networks, industrial organization, labor, and macroeconomics. The Buechel Award is given in the form of a monetary grant, which may be used for expenses related to teaching and research, to an outstanding teacher in the Department of Economics.
The Henry T. Buechel Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Undergraduate Program was presented to Affiliate Professor Greg Duncan. Dr. Duncan, a senior economist at Amazon, teaches upper-level courses in econometric theory and data science in the department. A Seattle native and UW economics alumnus (BA '70), Duncan holds a PhD in economics and an MA in statistics from the University of California at Berkeley. Duncan has previously taught at a number of universities, including Northwestern and Berkeley; led a science group at Verizon Labs that included some of the leading lights in machine learning; and was a partner and practice head at a number of major consulting firms.
The two Buechel awards were established in 1972 by Henry Buechel’s friends and family to honor and encourage other outstanding teachers. Professor Buechel joined the UW faculty in 1942 and was widely considered one of the most inspiring educators on campus.
Graduates are encouraged to join our young alumni group GOLD: Graduates of the Last Decade, to connect with other young alumni locally and regionally. We also have an alumni LinkedIn group, UW Economics Alumni.