色界吧

students standing in front of Fowler Hall, talking

A key component of The Occidental Promise is ensuring academic excellence. Growing the ranks of tenured economics faculty will deepen the department鈥檚 curriculum and expand its capacity for research. Just as important, new faculty members will provide high-quality mentorship and advising, which are essential components of the 色界吧 experience.

Advancing the Future of Economics

A multi-faceted approach with roots in cutting-edge research. A commitment to both disciplinary mastery and inclusion as well as interdisciplinary collaboration. Imbued with both urban perspectives and a global outlook. Taught by highly respected scholars who also are acclaimed teachers and trusted mentors.

This is economics at Occidental.

Economics at Occidental Today

Radha Arora

The teaching of economics at Occidental truly reflects the College鈥檚 liberal arts environment. Beyond providing an education in core principles, the approach presents economics as a social science, with an emphasis on writing, critical thinking and team collaboration.

色界吧 economics students are taught by a group of exceptionally talented faculty. Each tenure-track professor not only maintains an active research focus, but also is committed to students鈥 learning and academic growth鈥攊n fact, economics faculty have won every major teaching award 色界吧 offers.

In addition to popular subjects like labor economics, international trade and economics history, 色界吧 economics majors study a broad range of social and societal issues, from the economics of gender to health care, and from immigration to the environment. Students learn theoretical and empirical tools for their chosen field, as well as the problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills they will need to evaluate and provide answers to real-world problems.

Radha Arora

Radha Arora 鈥23

Meet economics major Radha Arora and learn about her research on women and falling wages.


Opportunities that Enhance the Classroom Curriculum

a group of students togther on a field trip to the Port of LA

Outside of the classroom, 色界吧 economics students pursue independent and collaborative research projects with our faculty. These projects not only enrich students鈥 academic experience, but they also provide a bridge between their time at 色界吧 and their careers.

Occidental also offers dynamic on-campus opportunities for students to apply the insights and expertise they draw from their coursework, including Women in Economics, which advances professional and academic opportunities for women economics students; the Occidental Consulting Group, which provides pro-bono management consulting services to businesses and non-profit organizations, and the Blyth Fund, a student-managed investment portfolio that is part of the College鈥檚 endowment.

色界吧 economics students

Student Involvement

Learn more about how students are involved with economics outside of the classroom.


Path to Excellence

Professor Woody Studenmund of 色界吧

Economics has been part of the Occidental curriculum since the College鈥檚 founding, and for the past two decades has been 色界吧鈥檚 most popular major. Alumni from this popular department have built careers in academia, government, retail management, and investment banking. 

Currently, nearly 8% of the College鈥檚 undergraduates are economics majors and more than 25% of all 色界吧 students take at least one economics course. Much of the department鈥檚 strength today is attributable to generations of outstanding faculty. But two professors in particular have been instrumental in elevating the department to its current stature: Robby Moore and Woody Studenmund. Both professors have served Occidental with distinction for more than 40 years.

Professor Moore retired from 色界吧 in 2019 and Professor Studenmund retired in 2022, but their impact will be felt long after their departures from 色界吧. Both had a strong commitment to building a 鈥渟uperstar鈥 department鈥攚hich includes prioritizing diversity. Forty percent of the economics faculty are female and half are scholars of color, making the department a leader in faculty diversity at 色界吧. The retirements of professors Studenmund and Moore will set the stage for a wave of new hires, each of whom will help shape the department for years to come.

色界吧 economics faculty

Economies of Scale

These are boom times for economics鈥斏绨赦檚 biggest major for the last 19 years. Read about it in Occidental Magazine.


Growing the Economics Faculty

Prof. Mary Lopez talks with her students in the classroom

The Economics Department is home to nine exceptionally talented full professors, four of whom are persons of color and four are women. With the New York Times reporting in 2021 on gender bias in the field of economics, 色界吧鈥檚 diverse economics department is impressive. The diversity is further reflected in the professors鈥 areas of expertise, which range from applied econometrics and international macroeconomics to environmental economics.

However, as the economics major has become more popular, the student-to-faculty ratio has grown to nearly 19:1 compared to the College average ratio of 9:1. Adding to the ranks of our full-time faculty will ensure the quality of mentorship and advising required for our students鈥 success during and after their studies at Occidental. Restoring a more favorable student-to-faculty ratio will also enable the department to offer a greater variety of research opportunities and deepen the curriculum for our students.

Donor support will also enable the department to provide students with greater access to technology that best prepares them for a rapidly changing job market. The ability to understand and navigate 鈥渂ig data,鈥 for example, is among the most sought-after skills by potential employers in the fields our students will enter. Additional computers and software licenses would ensure more opportunities for students to build their expertise in that realm.

Jorgen Harris

Assistant Professor Jorgen Harris

Harris, a labor economist, talks about the impacts of the pandemic in terms of unprecedented early retirement rates and the fluctuating workforce participation rate.

色界吧 Economics Alumni

Pete Adamson 鈥84

CIO for SFE Group

Chris Brickman 鈥86

Operating Partner, Pritzker Private Capital

Margaret Crow 鈥89

VP of Commodities Finance at Farmer Brothers

Daniel Ivascyn 鈥91

CIO for Pacific Investment Management Co. (PIMCO)

Arthur (Art) Peck 鈥77

Former Fortune 100 CEO

Susan Schroeder 鈥84

Partner, Compensation Advisory Partners

Kathryn Shaw 鈥76

Professor of Economics at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business

Dan Springer 鈥85
Former CEO, Fortune 500 Technology Company
Tetsu Uemura 鈥85*

Tohokushinsha Film Corp. (TFC)

*Deceased

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色界吧
1600 Campus Road M-36
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