Cornell held its commencement celebration for 5,500 seniors and advanced degree recipients on May 26, 2019 in Schoellkopf Stadium. The stadium held approximately 22,000 family members, faculty, trustees, and guests who packed the stands to celebrate the Class of 2019. Economics major Todd Lensman ’19 led the College of Arts and Sciences degree candidates into the stadium as a banner bearer. To watch the 151st Cornell University Commencement Ceremony click here.
Immediately following the Schoellkopf Stadium event, the Department of Economics held its annual ceremony under a tent on the Arts Quad. This year, the faculty presented certificates to 17 Ph.D. graduates, 2 M.A. graduates, and 205 economics major graduates.
Michael F. Lovenheim, the Donald C. Opatrny ’74 Chair of the Department, started the ceremony by describing the diverse set of opportunities of graduates were pursuing. He used results from a senior survey to share a few memories and favorite professors of our economics majors. To view the 2019 senior survey results click here.
Senior Lecturer, Gregory Besharov, announced the undergraduate prize winners. He started by recognizing the Uri M. Possen Memorial Award winner for the best undergraduate honors thesis and described the research authored by the four winners of the Tapan Mitra Economics Prize. Ph.D. and M.A. certificates were awarded by Ernest S. Liu Professor of Economics and International Studies Director of Graduate Studies, Yongmiao Hong. Undergraduate certificates were award by Kiplinger Professor of Public Policy and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Stephen Coate.
Professor Lovenheim concluded the ceremony by calling on graduates to stay connected with their Alma Mater. He remarked, “Just as you have memories of us, we have memories of you. Please keep those memories alive by staying in touch, dropping your favorite professor a line from time to time to let us know what you're up to.”
2019 Undergraduate Prizes
The Uri M. Possen Memorial Award for the best undergraduate honors thesis went to Todd Lensman.
The Tapan Mitra Economics Prize for Development Economics went to Michael Gates.
The Tapan Mitra Economics Prize for the Economics of Networks went to Samuel Markiewitz.
The Tapan Mitra Economics Prize for Health Economics went to Becky Cardinali.
The Tapan Mitra Economics Prize for Industrial Organization went to Yibo Sun.
The Competition Law and Policy Award went to Rebecca Goldgof.
The Economic Policy Analysis Award went to Sean McCulloch.
The Financial Economics Award went to Dylan Weil.
The financial Markets Award went to Jamil Rahman.
The Law and Economics Award went to Tony Zhou.
Graduates Prizes
These prizes were awarded during the academic year.
The L.R. "Red" Wilson M.A. '67 Excellence in Economics Award to support thesis proposal, research, and writing was awarded to graduate students Abhishek Ananth and Jason Somerville.
The Louis Walinsky Fund in Economics Outstanding Teaching Award in Honor of Professor Herbert Joseph Davenport went to graduate students Angela Cools and Khai Zhi Sim.
The Ernest Liu Family Outstanding Teaching Award went to graduate students Maura Coughlin and Matthew Thirkettle.
The Howard and Abby Milstein Graduate Teaching Assistanceship Award went to graduate students Amani Moin and Caroline Walker.
The Anindya (Bappu) Majumder '98 Memorial Prize for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to graduate student Malin Hu.
The Ernest Liu ‘64, Ta-Chung and Ya-Chao Liu Memorial Fellowship, which funds graduate student tuition, stipend, and health insurance for a full academic year, was awarded to graduate student Lucy Xiaolu Wang.
The Labor Economics Small Grant Awards went to graduate students Katelyn Heath and Caroline Walker.
Photo Album From The Department of Economics Commencement Ceremony
To view our professional photographer's ceremony photos and family portraits, please click here.
