Our Alumni, Who They are and What They are Doing
My name is Jeff Mollins, and I studied economics for my undergraduate degree at Memorial University, for whch I graduated in 2015. My venture into the study of economics was an almost incidental affair: I had been confused by the concept of exchange rates and other commonly discussed indicators and I took courses with the sole desire of quickly rectifying those seemingly surface misunderstandings. However, as I began to appreciate the type of probing questions posed by the field, and the tools with which it offered to answer those inquiries, I was attracted to the economists' perspective of the world which is simultaneously organized and adaptive: viewing our interactions through the lens of scarcity while maintaining mechanisms that can evaluate evolving circumstance.
After my undergrad at MUN, I received my master's degree from Queen's University, also in economics. My experiences at MUN left me well-prepared for the challenges of graduate school and the workplace. I had developed a healthy fascination with natural resource/environmental economics as well as applied econometrics. The professors in Memorial's Economics Department, such as Dr. Nikita Lyssenko and Dr. Roberto Martinez-Espineira, were in part catalyst for these interests, and helped guide my focus and energy. These interests, paired with great educators, have pushed me to pursue relevant employment, first as an economist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and now with the Bank of Canada.
I had a variety of positive experiences during my time interacting with the department. I was employed in the Economics Help Centre where I assisted first year economics students, invigilated exams, and participated in other departmental activities. The department also hosted interesting speaker series that presented opportunities to learn from academics and industry professionals, and ultimately reflect on the model from the classroom in the context of real-world dilemmas.
My advice to new students is to take advantage of the large variety of economic courses offered at MUN. The field of economics is broad enough to capture interests that are as diverse as the people holding them. In other words, if you have a curious and analyitcal mind, you will likely find studying economics to be a very rewarding experience.