Duke Economics Hosts Homecoming Happy Hour

A collage of the event

The sun was hot and the drinks were cold as the Economics Graduate Student Committee (EGSC) threw the first-ever Homecoming Happy Hour. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni gathered behind the Social Sciences building to mingle and reminisce about their days in Duke Economics. Normally, the EGSC plans Ph.D. happy hours once a month, but this year decided to incorporate homecoming into their event as a way to reach out to alumni and give current Ph.D. students a chance to mix and network with them.  

Mark Burkey (MA ‘94, Ph.D. ‘97) traveled from Greensboro with his 8-year-old son, Pierce, to attend the event. Burkey is currently an economics professor at North Carolina A&T State University. “I want Pierce to grow up surrounded by great ideas, science, and knowing what a great university looks like. I want him to aspire to attend a top-tier university like Duke, and having him talk to students and faculty is a great way to start to ingrain those ideas into him.”  

Burkey was also able to chat with Professor Charlie Becker, who has been a big influence on his life. “Charlie was a great help to me as I applied for promotion to Full Professor of Economics at NC A&T, writing a letter of recommendation that my dean gushed over for years to come.“  

A big thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to the heads of our EGSC Committee, Luke Fesko, Gabor Palinko, and Erica Liu.