Laura Beaudin

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My current title is Assistant Professor of Economics at Bryant University. At Bryant I am teaching such courses ranging from Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics, Intermediate Microeconomics, Research Methods in Economics, and Senior Capstone Advisor. In 2014 I published my first economics research paper in Ecological Economics, titled: “Weather conditions and outdoor recreation: A study of New England ski areas.” One of my current working papers won the “Best Paper Award” at a business and social sciences conference in Paris over the summer. Other than that, I serve on numerous committees at Bryant and am the co-advisor to BESA – Bryant Economic Student Association. I earned my Master’s and PhD in Economics at the University of New Hampshire in 2013. The economics program at UNH relies heavily on mathematical theory. Saint Michael’s provided me with the strong foundation I needed to help me excel in this program.

Of course Saint Michael’s prepared me very well. The challenging courses gave me a taste for what the course load would be like in graduate school; however, the supportive and encouraging faculty gave me the tools I needed to succeed at a high level. I am grateful for my time at Saint Michael’s because I was able to work very closely with many of the faculty members on research and projects and what I learned most in their classrooms was that I wanted to do exactly what they do, and become a college professor at a small liberal arts college. Being a professor is about more than just going to class, lecturing, and doing your own research. It is about being a source of knowledge and support for students who are discovering who they are and that they want to do while at the same time ever continuing your own learning journey. I can’t think of a better career.