UC Irvine School of Social Sciences

ucisocsci.bsky.social

15 October 2026 20:56

“Personally, I think economics is the best degree to get. You could argue for computer science or AI, but econ gives you an understanding of the world you can’t get anywhere else.”

UC Irvine School of Social Sciences

ucisocsci.bsky.social

15 October 2026 20:55

Along the way, he discovered something he hadn’t expected: an economics Ph.D. can take you anywhere. “Eighty percent of what I use day-to-day in a job like this comes from the knowledge gained from the Ph.D. program, whether it’s causal, Bayesian or structural economics,” says Derek.

UC Irvine School of Social Sciences

ucisocsci.bsky.social

15 October 2026 20:55

Instead, his career has taken him from publishing academic research to working for Amazon – one of the world’s largest private employers of Ph.D. economists – to Upstart, a fast-growing AI-powered lending company.

UC Irvine School of Social Sciences

ucisocsci.bsky.social

15 October 2026 20:55

Our next grad spotlight features Derek Tran, economics M.S. ’21, Ph.D. ’24. When Derek started graduate school at UC Irvine, he expected to become a professor. @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

UC Irvine School of Social Sciences

ucisocsci.bsky.social

14 October 2026 23:45

A passion for people and purpose | With her return to @ucirvine.bsky.social social sciences as the new assistant dean, Jennifer dos Santos is finding joy in reconnecting with familiar faces and reengaging with the school’s boundaryless mission @uofcalifornia.bsky.social