Graduate TA Spotlight – Zhenfeng Peng

Why did you choose economics?  Why did you choose your subfield?

ZP: Economics plays an important role in society.  If you want to know what the story behind something is, economics is a good starting point. This advantage from economics caught my eye! My current subfield is financial economics, especially fixed income securities and the impacts of government behaviors on markets. The importance of these things is obvious during the financial crisis and economic recessions.

Which class in the major has been your favorite and why?

ZP: Microeconomics. Although microeconomics is the basic course, a good foundation is the key to studying more complicated courses.

What research are you working on right now?

ZP: My current research is about the impacts of financial crisis in 2008 and Cov-19 pandemic, especially about the impacts of government policies on markets during these time periods.

What was your favorite class as an undergrad?

ZP: Math course. Math is a useful tool in the journey of economics.

What is your top piece of advice for your students?

ZP: UB has provided plenty of resources to students. Making full use of them will help you a lot during your college time.

What is one thing that you recommend students do while at UB?

ZP: Enjoy your time at UB. You can learn a lot from all kinds of university events and activities.