Three St. Michael’s students were recognized at the Undergraduate Awards of Excellence in Economics Ceremony. The Department of Economics’ annual awards ceremony was held on March 4 and celebrates the achievements of undergraduate students during the 2024-2025 academic year.
St. Michael’s student Anirudh Patel was one of two recipients of the Professor James Pesando Memorial Scholarships in Economics. The award will assist Patel as he pursues graduate studies.
“I’m primarily interested in research to evaluate and transform economic policies for the betterment of everyone,” said Patel. “I intend to pursue university studies up to the PhD level to prepare for a career in this direction,” he said.
The award is named in honour of Professor Pesando who was well known for his skillful teaching of first year economics courses and is awarded to students who were top performers in 100 level courses with preference given to those students in financial need. Patricia Higgins, who was instrumental in the creation of the scholarship named in honour of her late husband, was a special guest at the event.
The Banker’s Scholarship in Economics was established with a gift from the Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Royal Bank of Canada, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in 1891. It goes to the student with the highest standing in the intermediate macroeconomics course sequence. This year’s winner was Kirill Utyashev, a St. Michael’s College student majoring in economics and computer science with a minor in statistics.
Hannah Wang won the Paul L. Nathanson Scholarship. The scholarship was established in memory of Paul Nathanson, who was the founder of the General Theatre Investment Company. It is awarded to an outstanding student whose program includes at least three full courses in Economics.
“I’m incredibly grateful that my hard work has been recognized through this award,” Hannah Wang said. “It motivates me to continue striving for excellence as I hope to return next year to pursue a master’s degree.”
Read more about the Undergraduate Awards of Excellence in Economics Ceremony.