Konnie Duan

What’ve you enjoyed most about your area of study? Was there a particular discovery, new skill or way of thinking, or insight that you found especially valuable? Please share an example from your favorite class or experience.

I’ve enjoyed every economics class I’ve taken at MIT not only because of the opportunity to learn from world-class professors but also because of the real-world relevance of concepts I study. Working with Professor James Poterba as a teaching assistant for Principles of Macroeconomics, I’ve learned how deeply intertwined economic theory is with policy and how classroom ideas translate directly into decision-making that shape the global economy.

How does the knowledge from this field, or your interest in it, combine with your other major or minor studies at MIT?

In studying economics, I’ve gained intuition for how personal preferences and competitive dynamics lead individuals to make decisions. I’ve also studied how computer scientists and mathematicians have formulated algorithms and frameworks to model these problem scenarios. It has been fascinating to explore these types of problems in both technical and strategic settings.

An MIT education includes study in the scientific, technical, social science, arts, and humanities fields. How do you think that wide range of knowledge and perspectives will be valuable to you – for your career success and for your enjoyment of life?

I think having an interdisciplinary education is key to empathy. By learning to see problems through diverse lenses, one can better understand people’s values and motivations across different fields.

What are your plans for the future?

I will be joining Hudson River Trading n New York as an Algorithm Developer.