2016 Boeing Company Scholarship in Economics Recipient

Biography: Stephanie Dong is a sophomore pursuing a major in business economics and minors in accounting and statistics. She is also an Achievement Scholar and college honors student. She is currently involved in undergraduate research under Professor Craig Fox (UCLA Anderson School of Management), investigating decision making under uncertainty. She enjoys interdisciplinary research and is especially interested in the fields of behavioral economics and behavioral finance. Whilst completing her major, she also aims to take a broad spectrum of challenging courses that complement her diverse interests – math, economics, psychology, and accounting. Outside her academics, she is a review editor of the Aleph Undergraduate Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences, a member of various undergraduate business clubs, and an avid table tennis player for the UCLA Women’s Varsity Table Tennis Team.

Future Plans: In the short run, Stephanie hopes to continue partaking in research projects that involve data collection using computer programming and statistical analysis. She also aims to gain some industry experience through an internship that would allow her to apply her business/economics knowledge and data analysis skills. She is open to finding internships in the accounting, finance, entertainment, or aerospace industries. In the long run, she aspires to contribute to business and economics through continued academic research and practice in these fields.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: This Scholarship means so much more to me than just an award. Having grown up in a different country, I knew that coming to UCLA alone would be an eye-opening experience. Indeed, this past year-and-a-half in college has been one of exploration, acquisition, and self-discovery. It was an opportunity to develop independence, interact with distinguished faculty, and launch into the subjects I am passionate about. However, being a college student, I often question whether I am on the right track. Getting this scholarship was an enormous encouragement and confirmation of my efforts. I look forward to truly applying my knowledge and skills to the real world in the coming years, and hope that one day I can give back to the school I esteem.