Ted Liu

Name:  Ted Liu

College:  Graduate

Department:  Economics

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive?  The Hammett Fellowship Award in Environmental Studies

What year do you expect to graduate? 2023

Where do you call home?  Santa Cruz, California

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?  I was attracted by the supportive faculty and research environment of the economics PhD program. When visiting the campus for the first time as a prospective student, I was mesmerized by its redwood forest and almost instantly decided this would be my choice.

What is your field of focus?  I am pursuing my PhD in economics with a focus on climate change.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?  I plan to work as a researcher and contribute to the understandings of climate change and its economic implications.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? Whenever I walk or jog in the woods, I feel incredibly lucky that I study here.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?  Be an active participant of the campus community, whether it’s related to the academics and research, or to social and cultural events. It’s hard to find another friendly, welcoming place like this.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?  Receiving the Hammett Fellowship is an incredible honor for me. It gives me confidence in my potential and ability to conduct research that improve our understandings of climate change. The financial support of the fellowship helps with my summer living expenses, allowing me to focus and make progress on my research. Part of the fellowship will also become my career startup fund, which I will use for research expenses such as dataset purchases to further my dissertation progress.