During the fall semester, a group of undergraduate and graduate students from the Economics department at Indiana University Bloomington traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with alumni and policy experts. The visit was organized with the help of Ike Brannon, an IU Economics alumnus and president of Capital Policy Analytics.
The trip included meetings with researchers at the Hudson Institute and lunch with chief economists from various trade associations. Josh Hurwitz from the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association; Chad Moutray from the National Restaurant Association; and Curtis Dubay from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce discussed how their training in economics informs their work for policymakers.
An evening event hosted by David Penna at Davis Polk brought together IU alumni working in law, consulting, government agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office, and the Federal Trade Commission. Students had opportunities to learn about different career paths in economics through conversations with both recent graduates and senior professionals.
Guilherme Pinto, a sixth-year Ph.D. student, said: “I think the job market year is especially hard now, but I know without information and without knowing that people before us had to pass through challenges like this and succeed, it would be even harder. We are standing on the shoulders of giants. I felt very glad to meet with good people that managed to have a meaningful career. It is inspiring for me.”
Lucy Devenney, an undergraduate student in Economics, commented: “This trip was such an amazing experience! As an undergrad, I thought it was incredibly helpful to receive words of encouragement and advice from IU alumni and other economists working in D.C.”
On the second day of their visit, students met with Michael Solon and Thomas Duesterberg at the Hudson Institute to discuss historical economic policy’s relevance today. Duesterberg has supported IU economics students by establishing a fund in memory of his brother Daniel Duesterberg.
Before leaving Washington D.C., Brannon arranged another meeting where students spoke with economists working in government roles including Joey Kouri (House Financial Services Committee), Dan Kowalski (Office of Management and Budget), Kurt Schuler (U.S. Department of Treasury), as well as Christopher Waller—a former faculty member who is now on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
Costas Lambros, a fifth-year Ph.D. student said: “During a Ph.D. we are most often exposed to careers in academia, but this was a rare opportunity to explore exciting options available to us in the government and private sector,” adding that networking during this trip has been helpful while searching for jobs.
Volodymyr Lugovskyy, Professor and Chair of Economics at Indiana University Bloomington stated: “Our students’ time at IU helps to instill within them a lifelong commitment to service, discovery, and impact,” expressing gratitude toward alumni whose involvement made these experiences possible.