Congratulations to our 2025/2026 Kogut Award recipient!

Owen Penhollow

Economics BS + Philosophy, Politics & Economics BA + Mathematics minor

"I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for being the recipient of the Joseph W. and Kenneth P. Kogut Brothers of New York Mills Economic Development Award. I am grateful both for its recognition of my work and character and for how it will help me take full advantage of all that the University at Buffalo and its economics program offer.

I am pursuing an Economics BS; a Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics BA; and a minor in math. My particular focus is on housing economics. For the Jim and Matthew Scarpati Honorary Applied Economics Conference, I am producing an applied economics paper that uses econometrics and computational game theory to compare the effects of community land ownership and rent control. I published an economic policy paper with the UB Honors College Think Tank evaluating community land trusts as housing policy. My research project formulating a novel computational model of residential segregation received the UB Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Award. I am also president of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Club.

I believe in service to my community as a core value. For my career, I would like to apply my economics training to public policy design. In pursuit of that goal, I am considering both graduate school and entering the work force immediately. Regardless of my eventual path, this scholarship and the opportunities the UB Department of Economics provide are an incredible foundation."