Martin Heintzelman, B.S. 1998
Professor and Department Chair, Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, University of Delaware – Newark, DE
1998 Major: Economics and Canadian Studies
How has being an Economics graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?
"The connections I made with faculty and other students (especially graduates students I worked with while I was an undergraduate) at Duke have been the foundation of my career as an academic economist. They paved the way for me to my first job as a Research Assistant at a think tank, which, in turn, helped me in the graduate school admissions process, as well to be able to succeed in graduate school."
What advice would you give students in Duke's Economics programs?
"I highly recommend that students take advantage of small classes and seminars, and research opportunities, like the senior thesis option. These smaller groups and one-on-one interactions gave me a lot of confidence and forced me to see details that I would have missed in larger classes. Getting to know graduate students and faculty on a personal level made a tremendous difference for me. In addition, DO THE READING."
