During the 2005-2006 academic
year, five Economics majors
completed their undergraduate thesis projects under the auspices of the
Economics Distinction Program. These students presented their original research findings during MayFest,
held on April 25, 2006. MayFest is the University campus-wide
celebration of undergraduate creativity and academic achievement.
Seniors
who completed an Economics degree with Distinction in 2006 are:
Amy Brundage
Melissa Clune
Jeff Evans
Brian Hecht
Christiane LaBonte
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Christiane
LaBonte
Christiane
LaBonte
grew up in Chicopee, Mass.
After graduating with honors from SU in May 2006 as a Policy
Studies and Economics major, Christiane now works
for a consulting firm specializing in health care analysis.
Her thesis investigates the benefits of pediatric
hospitals through a comparison of mortality rates for specific
diagnosis. For her analysis, she used the national KIDS
data base.
Christiane
spent a semester in the Maxwell-Washington International
Relations Program and a summer working at the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services. On campus, Christiane served as President
of Undergraduates for a Better Education and a 2005-2006
Remembrance Scholar. In her spare time, Christiane enjoys reading,
ice cream, long walks, and spending time with her friends and
family. |
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Brian Hecht
Brian is
from Old Bridge, New Jersey. He will be attending
Rutgers Law School in the fall. Brian graduated with an
Economics major in May 2006, with honors. While on campus, he
was a student representative to the University's
Trademark Licensing Agreement Board. He worked for the Outback
Steakhouse in New Jersey during summer breaks and
he is an avid New York Mets
fan. Brian’s thesis examines the
interest rate charged to different groups of
consumers by the major banks, with a particular emphasis on the
rates charged to minorities and women.
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Melissa Clune
Melissa
grew up on Bainbridge Island, WA. She graduated
in May 2006 with a Bachelor of
Science in Economics, a major in Political Science, and a minor in Philosophy.
Melissa is currently working for an attorney and
she plans to attend law school in 2007. During her senior year
at SU, she worked as an intern with the Onondaga County District Attorney's
Office. Melissa was a member of the SU swim team, and she also
likes to ski and play golf in her free time. Her thesis research
focuses on the role of campaign contributions in Congressional
voting behavior, with a specific application to the Central American
Free Trade Agreement. |
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Jeff Evans
Jeff was born in Stuttgart, Germany but grew up in Springfield, VA.
He graduated from SU in May 2006 with an Economics major and a
Psychology minor, with interests mainly in finance
and the stock market. Jeff is currently
working for Bear Sterns & Co, an investment company in New York
City, as a Prime Broker Analyst.
His thesis evaluates the performance
of an investing strategy that uses upward
revisions in earnings estimates by financial
analysts.
Jeff played on the soccer team at Syracuse for his first three
years, until he tore a ligament in his knee
and was forced into early retirement. He still
enjoys playing sports in his spare time, as well as
traveling, reading, and
watching Family Guy. |
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Amy Brundage
Amy graduated from SU in May 2006 with a Bachelors of
Science degree in Economics. She is a
member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, a national Economics honors
society, and worked as a research assistant in
her junior year for
Prof. Stacy Dickert-Conlin. Amy is
considering several career paths, but expects to go on to graduate school
sometime in the near future. |