Congratulations to our 2021/2022 Scholarship and Award recipients!

Netra Mittal

Senior pursuing a BA in Economics as well as a BA in Mathematics

In three sentences or less, tell us about your interests, accomplishments and goals.

As an economics and math major, I am fascinated by the role data plays in resource management and policy making. I am most interested in the ways social structures, public institutions, and environmental factors affect health. Having been accepted to the MS Biostatistics program at Columbia University, I hope to work for research organizations that explore the shifting landscape of healthcare research in the face of climate change upon graduation.

How will this award impact your life?

Honored to be this year's recipient, I hope to use this scholarship to fund my travel and stay-related expenditures for a summer internship, putting the rest towards graduate school. This scholarship has also motivated me to continue pursuing my research interests by recognizing my hard work. I hope to live up to the values espoused by previous recipients and the Kogut brothers themselves.

Thomas Grasso

Junior pursuing a BA in Economics

In three sentences or less, tell us about your interests, accomplishments and goals.

I am hoping to pursue a career in either data analysis or law. I enjoyed working with datasets to better understand specific situations in my econometrics class, and that taught me about the power of statistical analysis, as well as how specific economic concepts tie into that. Writing a research paper last year in econometrics helped me to conceptualize and understand the information I obtained from this analysis, and I am looking forward to further exposure to this type of work this summer with my internship in finance and acquisition. I also recently presented at an academic conference, which I think helps me in expressing and explaining my research on various topics.

How will this scholarship impact your life?

This scholarship will provide me assistance in paying for my tuition for undergraduate studies, which will make it easier for me to pursue my postgraduate studies, which will either be a master’s degree in economics or a law degree. Overall, I feel that I would be more overwhelmed with financial obligations without the scholarship, especially since I am paying a good amount for renting my apartment this year.

I also feel that receiving a scholarship can provide a mental boost in life. We are nearing the end of a busy spring semester and receiving this good news can serve as a motivational tool and reminder of what I am ultimately working for. Filling out the application made me pause and ponder my future, as well as to further contemplate specific goals