Greetings from the KU Department of Economics

Greetings from the KU Department of Economics, and welcome to the Fall 2023 issue of the KU Economist! Whether you are a student, a potential student, a graduate, a donor, a collaborator, or just curious about the department, we are glad you found us.  In addition to the news and notes featured here, please take a minute to follow us on X (formerly Twitter) to stay up to date on the latest news.

The Fall semester has been an exciting one on campus.  As you may have seen in KU Today, the University of Kansas recorded its largest Fall enrollment in 13 years, thanks in part to a record freshman class—up 18% from last year and eclipsing the old (2008) record for the largest freshman class in KU’s history.  In addition to the record enrollment, the incoming freshman class is among the most well prepared and diverse that KU has seen.  We look forward to welcoming many of these freshmen into the department as Econ majors. 

This semester has been a busy one for faculty and staff in the department.  As highlighted in the articles and sections of this issue, our faculty continue to engage in significant service to the state, nation, and profession. Our community-engaged scholars publish cutting-edge research in top Economics journals, and also inform our communities and policymakers on critical topics that affect all of our lives. Our graduate students also continue to evidence impact through their teaching, research, and service—both while they are here on campus and after they have graduated. 

This issue also features important contributions to the department and the field from some of our distinguished alumni.  In addition to reading about the important contributions highlighted here, we would be thrilled if you could let us know how you are doing and what you have been up to since leaving KU.  We encourage all of our alumni to take a minute and visit Alumni Update Form to share your updates with your colleagues.