Alumni on this page have graduated from Boise State University with bachelor’s degrees in economics. (Interested in graduate programs? Read testimonials from masters.)
Do you have something to share? Let’s us know, email econdept@boisestate.edu.
Faith Spaulding
“Boise State economics program facilitated learning a multitude of skills that allowed me to get a diverse background in different projects and jobs. I have always had a passion for studying housing policies and implementing change to better our communities. With the flexibility of the economics program, I got to focus most of my projects and courses around housing and urban economics. This program gave me the hard skills necessary to get my job as the research and development analyst at a market-sided solution company that focuses on housing accessibility. I thought I would have to go through more schooling to get a chance to do what I dreamed of. However, the economics program made it so I gained the critical thinking and economic analysis necessary to succeed in my post-college career and head my own department.” — Faith Spaulding
David Shin
David was named a Schwarzman Scholar for the class of 2023. Shin is the first Boise State student to win this scholarship since its inception in 2015. The Schwarzman Scholar program accepted 151 scholars out of nearly 3,000 applicants this year. This places its acceptance rate on par with other prestigious programs like the Marshall and Rhodes scholarships. Shin attributes his success to the academic environment here at Boise State. “The economics department has cultivated a faculty that, above all else, values intellectual curiosity.” — David Shin
Paloma Chumacero Delgado
While an undergraduate, Paloma was an officer in the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, was the COBE Signature Student for economics and graduated magna cum laude.
Paloma earned her master’s degree in international affairs and economic policy from Columbia in 2023 and is employed at JP Morgan in New York City as an analyst. She credits economics faculty for helping her develop confidence.
“Boise State and the Department of Economics encouraged me to dream and aim for greatness. I will always be grateful to the department faculty for the challenges, which pushed me to work harder, and the support, which made me believe in myself.” — Paloma Chumacero Delgado
Holly Bossart
“[Going] to Boise State and studying economics was the best academic decision I’ve made. Professors gave me top-level instruction and connected me with opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Boise State provided me with scholarships and funding for research helping me to graduate debt-free. I will forever be grateful to Boise State and the Department of Economics for giving me amazing opportunities to grow.” –Holly Bossart
Holly graduate in 2020 with a double major in economics and mathematics and was the Outstanding Graduate for economics. During her undergraduate years she received a Higher Education Research Council Fellowship (a paid, 10-week research experience), presented her research on the impact of job insecurity on mental wellbeing at the Southern Regional Science Association meeting and attended the Dordt College Ukraine Research Experience for Undergrads on a scholarship (she was 1 of 8 students accepted out 300+ applicants).
She received a graduate assistantship to attend Carnegie Mellon University Ph.D. program.
Lauren Butler
Lauren joined ECONorthwest as a research analyst after graduating magna cum laude from Boise State University. She conducts analyses with large, micro-level data sets using Stata and specializes in distilling and communicating complex economic and mathematical relationships into actionable findings for clients. While at Boise State, Lauren received several scholarship and authored a senior thesis that evaluated evidence-based policies within community corrections for the Idaho Department of Correction.
Makenzie Peake
After graduating as a Boise State University Top Ten Scholar in quantitative economics, Makenzie earned a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023 and works there as a scientist. Before graduate school, she worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as a research associate.
Cassie Sullivan
“Boise State’s College of Business and Economics positioned me to excel in the business world by providing me with lifetime mentors who connected me with relevant internships and opportunities. These relationships have provided me invaluable support throughout various phases of life.” — Cassie Sullivan
Cassie was student body vice president and graduated as a Boise State University Top Ten Scholar. She joined Deloitte right out college and received an MBA from Oxford University in 2019. She was named one of the “10 Remarkable Women MBAs to Watch” by graduate business education source Poets and Quants. She works for Apple in London in sales planning and operations.
Zachary Turk
Zachary Turk graduated in 2014 with a BBA in Business Economics and was a Boise State University Top Ten Scholar. He went on to receive a Master of Science in Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California at Davis in 2015 and Master of Engineering Science in Environmental Science at Yale University in 2017. Zachary completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Economics at the London School of Economics in 2020.
George Fenton
George Fenton graduated summa cum laude with a double major in economics and math. He competed with distinction on the Boise State speech and debate team, has a 2010 national title in impromptu speaking, was a Boise State University Top Ten Scholar and gave the 2012 commencement address.
George completed his economics Ph.D. at the University of Michigan and was selected by his students as a top ten graduate student instructor in economics in 2019.
He is a senior policy analyst with the Federal Fiscal Policy team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“With my statistics training and economics degree from Boise State, I was well-prepared for the research assistant role at The Fed.” — George Fenton