While spring was nowhere to be seen, economics students shone brightly at the department’s annual awards night.

On Friday, March 25, dozens of students, faculty and friends of the department gathered at the Timms Centre lobby at the University of Alberta main campus to honour student achievement throughout the year.  

“It’s important for our students to know that we’re very proud of their accomplishments,” said department chair Dr. Douglas West. “We certainly appreciate their efforts, and each year we like to bring the community together to show them how much we appreciate what they’ve achieved.”

This was a good year for honour’s student Kayleigh Donahue, who will enter the last year of her program in the fall. This year, she earned two awards: The Archibald Forster McGoun Memorial Book Prize in Economics (donated by Mrs. IW Long, of Edmonton) and the Angus Sinclair Abell Memorial Scholarship in Economics (endowed by Amy Ross Cogswell Abell, in memory of her husband).

As a result of these prizes, Donahue’s tuition fees were substantially reduced. “I’ve been able to spend more time doing volunteer activities this year,” she said. In addition to being a full-time honours student, Donahue is involved with the Economics Students Association and sits on the board of a small Ugandan development charity.

Although she’s still a year away from completing her degree, she’s weighing many options. Academia is a possibility, but so is working within industry. “I’m completing a certificate in economics and the management of natural resources, energy and the environment,” she said. “So, I’d like to find jobs within the energy industry here in Alberta. I’d like to work as an advocate for responsible and sustainable resource development, especially in developing countries.”

Jie Yang, a second-year PhD student, is one of many international students in the department. This year, he snagged two major awards: the Graduate Core Prize in Economics (endowed by Dr. Adolf Buse, a professor emeritus of the University of Alberta) and the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Interfaculty Graduate Studentship. 

Yang’s research is part of a larger project examining the costs of health-care. “I’m using econometrics methods to model the outcomes, efficiency, and productivity of health-care,” he explained.

The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry award provided Yang with a $20,000 prize and the cost of his tuition for two years, in order to facilitate interdisciplinary research with the Faculty. “It definitely made my life easier and it’s a great thing for my CV,” said Yang, who intends to continue on in academia, whether in Canada or China, where he hails from.

West notes that the Department of Economics has successfully recruited international graduate students for many years and many of these students have earned prominent academic awards. But this year, he’s noticed an increase in the number of graduate students enrolled in both masters and PhD programs.

“Naturally, the competition for these awards was tougher this year,” he said. “The students receiving the awards tonight are truly outstanding students.