Name:  Liwei Liu

Department: Economics 

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? Milam-McGinty-Kaun Award

What year do you expect to graduate? 2021

Where do you call home? Both China and US

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? The faculty support, close connection between students, good weather, and good location

What is your field of focus? Experimental and Behavioral Economics

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I like studying human behavior to understand how we make decisions. I would prefer to keep working on research to study how Internet and technology influences people’s behavior and how society functions.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? As a teaching assistant, the most memorable moment is when I helped students and saw them succeed in their course. When students mentioned that they appreciated my hard work and assistance, I felt a bigger responsibility because my teaching was influencing others.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? For incoming PhD students, first it is a good decision! UCSC has the most beautiful campus I have ever seen. My suggestion is that whenever you meet difficulty with research, take a walk along the beach or on the campus to enjoy the nature and refresh your mind. Then every problem is solved!

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? I feel honored in receiving this award and recognized for my hard work. I will use this scholarship to fund the upcoming experiments for my research. This motivates me to do better research to contribute to human knowledge.