Career Planning

“I have always been interested in energy, particularly power markets. Keeping the lights on requires matching generation to customer demand while incentivizing new generation and transmission investment at the lowest possible cost. CRA’s clients, including utilities, regulators, investors, and other interested parties, need relatively technical analysis to understand how these markets work, where they are headed, and what it means for their specific situation.

My day-to-day tasks vary widely, but I have found that my undergraduate experience has had a lasting effect: especially its emphasis on building models and frameworks to analyze complex situations, analytical rigor, and second-order thinking. I majored in Economics because I thought (and still think) that it teaches useful quantitative frameworks for understanding the broader world. I’m lucky to work for interested parties seeking reasoned and rigorous answers, and in an industry that understands the importance of good data. It is satisfying to apply concepts and methodologies I learned as an undergraduate, from simple supply-and-demand models to mathematical optimization and econometrics, and use them to generate answers to what I think are very important questions.”

"The biggest thing I took away from studying Economics at the University of Chicago was learning to think through incentives. Today, in my role in Product at Insurify, that's often the first question I ask when I'm trying to understand user behavior, evaluate competitors, or discuss product decisions with teammates. Thinking about why people make the choices they do has become second nature, and it shapes much of how I approach my work.

Another lesson that has stayed with me is the importance of building simple models for complex problems. At UChicago, we used economic models to understand complicated systems. Today, I use the same mindset to structure product strategies, interpret A/B test results, and prioritize opportunities instead of trying to solve every problem at once.

Econometrics also changed the way I think about data. Rather than relying on intuition, I learned to ask whether the evidence actually supports a conclusion and to distinguish correlation from causation. Whether I'm evaluating an experiment or recommending a product direction, I still find myself applying the same questions I learned in those classes.

Perhaps most importantly, UChicago taught me to develop thoughtful, evidence-based opinions and communicate them clearly. Product development is highly collaborative, and many of my days are spent discussing ideas with engineers, designers, and other product managers. The ability to support recommendations with data while remaining open to new evidence has been one of the most valuable skills I've carried from the classroom into my career.”