The Department of Economics would like to congratulate all of our graduates from the 2016-2017 academic year! Below are a few of these graduates.
Robert Wittstock
What is a favorite UCLA Memory?
Listening to Mitch Julis lecture on his multi-disciplinary investment philosophy during the Value Investing Seminar organized by Bill Simon. The lecture changed not only my investment approach, but also my entire worldview. It was a life-changing experience.
What you will be doing next?
I will be working as a category specialist for Jet.com, a retail eCommerce company.
What is your Major?
Business Economics
Preeya Mehta
What is a favorite UCLA memory?
There are always celebrities in the LA area, but one day I heard that Mindy Kaling was filming at Kerckhoff Hall. She was one of my favorite actresses, so my friends and I left all of our stuff in the library and walked around campus to find her. Eventually, she came out of her trailer and took pictures with all of us! I remember seeing Kerckhoff Hall in the background of the episode and feeling super proud of my school.
What will you be doing next?
I plan on going into the medical field. Before applying to medical school, I’m working for a company called Doctor Evidence that is working on creating a hub of clinical research to further evidence based medicine. I chose it because I really believed in the evidence based knowledge of economics and wanted to apply it to my future career as well.
What is your Major?
Economics, with a Minor in Public Heath
Alison Malanowski
What is a favorite UCLA memory?
One of my favorite memories at UCLA has to be from my time with the Mental Health and Faith Ministry. It was an organization my friends and I started due to the need we saw within the Christian religious community on campus struggling to reconcile their faith and mental wellness. Winter of 2017, we hosted our third event – a panel. It was easily our largest event in attendance, our most well rounded in content, and we hosted our biggest group of speakers. I was beyond proud of how many students we could reach and how positive the response was from the event.
What will you be doing next?
I will be going into Consulting in the fall, working for Accenture.
What is your Major?
Business Economics, with a Minor in Film Television and Digital Media
Eva Maria Pino
What is a favorite UCLA memory?
My favorite memory at UCLA was helping UCLA Radio reach our Pledge Drive goal of $15,000 this year as Assistant General Manager! Flyering all week, dancing at our DJ set in Kerckhoff, and listening to our crazy 24-hour programming was a blast. It really made me proud to see the station I love come together and do something we never dreamed possible.
What will you be doing next?
I will pursue a career in Strategic Consulting after finishing my Masters in Management at University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. In the future I hope to start my own food business and write a cookbook.
What is your Major?
Economics
Jiwei Zhang
What is a favorite UCLA memory?
The party at Professor Riley’s house after math camp.
What will you be doing next?
I am attending Stanford for my PhD in economics.
What is your Major?
Mathematics and Economics, with a Specialization in Computing.
Matthew Shepherd
What is a favorite UCLA Memory:
One of my favorite memories at UCLA was helping to put on CAC Art Series’ “Intersection” art gallery and opening at a warehouse loft in Downtown LA.
What will you be doing next?
I will be going into the entertainment/advertising field, working for Spotlight Cinema Networks.
What is your Major?
Business Economics, with a Minor in Accounting
Subbaiah Bopaiah
What is a favorite UCLA memory?
More than a memory, what I fondly cherish about UCLA was the ability to do a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Economics. I grew up on a coffee plantation in South India. As I entered high school, I was more involved in the working of the coffee plantation. During the heaping of coffee beans, I noticed that it needed a lot of physical effort and the employees would be exhausted by the end of the day. Along with the support of my father, we designed a simple heaping device that was attached to a mechanized tiller. This device could be operated by a single person and it reduced the work time by half and the workforce by approximately five employees per device. Spending time amidst the tools and machinery required to run a plantation motivated me to choose mechanical engineering as a major.
While I had only focused on machines until then, my first Economics class, ECON 1, with Professor Rojas taught me how to apply the principles of economics to our coffee plantation. The coffee prices are dictated by supply and demand. This motivation to learn about the different aspects of our coffee plantation by pursuing a double major was a turning point in my life.
What will you be doing next?
As I graduate with a double major, I intend to use the knowledge that I have gained from both majors in the field of Business Analytics. Therefore, I will be attending the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program at the Anderson School in UCLA. I hope to learn how to use data on rainfall, fertilizers, sunlight and other factors to develop a business analytical framework for coffee growers, to help them improve their yields and harvest decisions.
What is your Major?
Mechanical Engineering and Economics
