The department has become a launching pad for students to succeed in a wide variety of careers: graduates have become leaders in business, medicine, finance, government, and academia, among many other fields. As the department pivots toward a new generation of faculty, all indicators point toward its continued academic prosperity.

To honor this legacy and ensure the strength of the department for generations to come, Occidental College has established an Economics Committee as part of The Oxy Campaign For Good. This is the College’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign in more than 20 years, one that reached its goal of raising $225 million a year early. With the leadership of the Economics Committee, Oxy will be able to develop the program in the following ways:

• Grow the faculty to increase student mentorship and faculty advising capacity

• Build a more favorable student:faculty ratio

• Deepen and diversify the Economics curriculum

• Increase student access to technology that best prepares them for a rapidly changing job market

• Enhance computing capacity and “big data” research

 

I met Woody Studenmund almost 50 years ago in my first year as a freshman at Oxy. I am forever grateful to Woody for setting the trajectory of my life. He inspired, motivated and pushed me to understand what I was capable of and the importance of critical thinking as the essence of a liberal arts education. I know I am not alone." -Art Peck '77

 

Committee Objectives

• Garner philanthropic support to enhance Economics as part of The Oxy Campaign For Good

• Make a personally significant gift to Economics

• Strengthen the ties among Economics alumni to the College and one another

• Leverage the connections of committee members with others in Oxy’s Economics community to contribute meaningfully to the student experience

Committee Activities

• Summer 2021: meeting of committee co-chairs

• Fall 2021 and Winter 2022: expand committee membership and engage alumni networks

• Spring and Summer 2022: continue to expand committee membership, engage alumni networks, and celebrate Professor Woody Studenmund at Reunion 2022

• Academic Year 2022-2023: continue to engage the Oxy community in support of expanding the Economics faculty

Committee Members

Chris Brickman '86, Co-chair

Brad Fauvre '87, Co-chair

Art Peck '77 P'10 P'14, Co-chair

Benjamin Phelps '03, Co-chair

Steve Robinson '77, Co-chair

Clare Shuey '16, Co-chair

Dan Springer ’85, Co-chair

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Nikki Dedic '10

Ian Husted '13

Robert D. Kirchman '80

Sid Saravat '15

Susan Schroeder '84

Christian Tregillis '89