Description
The Expanding Diversity in Economics (EDE) program is a first-of-its-kind initiative launched by the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) at UChicago to expose early undergraduate students to the study of economics. The goal of the program is to diversify the pool of students who major in economics, pursue the field in graduate school, or apply it during their careers. Since EDE’s inception, 128 students have gone through the program. BFI is proud to share the experiences of these remarkable program alumni.
Donations are applied to...
Your gift will directly support the 2024 Expanding Diversity in Economics Summer Institute. The program provides a stipend of $1,200 for successful completion. Participants who are Pell Grant recipients receive a stipend of $2,400. Additionally, the cost of travel, housing, and group activities for EDE participants for on-campus programming is supported by generous donors like you.
The EDE Summer Institute is a three-week program held in Chicago and Washington, DC. The program is designed to build skills and confidence through activities including daily lectures, technical training, group projects, and networking events. More broadly, the program aims to excite students about the field’s many real-world applications through exposure to economics faculty and experts.
Last year, nearly 650 students applied for the 45 slots, and more than 95 percent of those accepted chose to matriculate. EDE students participate in daily course instruction by UChicago economists from Chicago Booth, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, and Harris Public Policy, focused on microeconomic inquiry and the application of causal inference in economics. The curriculum is further enhanced in Washington, DC, with guest speakers and visits to government, private sector, and international development institutions.
Past speakers include Nobel laureates Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond, James Heckman, and Richard Thaler; Federal Reserve Board governor Lisa D. Cook; Freakonomics author Steven Levitt; Chicago Booth scholar Marianne Bertrand; Northern Trust CFO Jason Tyler; Ariel Investments chairman John Rogers; and more.
Personal Message
“EDE made me realize how economics lives in our everyday lives. Learning from professors and peers from similar backgrounds made the program particularly impactful and an unforgettable experience.”–Brayan Lopez Llamas, 2023 EDE participant; UCLA
“EDE has not only grown my confidence in my potential, but has provided me with a community of support and genuine connection. I have been able to meet and experience such an elite group of people at such an early point in my career.”–Lea Reisel, 2022 EDE participant; University of Southern California
“EDE was an amazing experience. As a journalism major, I interacted with people that I normally wouldn’t, and the chance to receive guidance and mentorship from a nationally renowned economic journalist was unimaginable before EDE.”–Dylen “Doss” Richmond, 2023 EDE participant; Morehouse College
Why are donations necessary?
Economics lags behind other fields in diversity. Women account for 28.4 percent of the nation’s economics majors, according to a recent study, while just 14.7 percent of economics majors are Black, Hispanic, or Native American. Diversity is important because it can inform research questions and lead to otherwise unanticipated answers. A broader range of perspectives will enhance the field’s contributions to public policy and society.