phd students nyu economics

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Department of Economics

as.nyu.edu/econ 19 West Fourth Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012-1119 • 212-998-8900 

Chair of the Department

Professor Ludvigson

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Professor Flinn

Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies

Clinical Associate Professor Fan

Clinical Assistant Professor Roeper

The Department of Economics prepares students to understand individual and group decision-making, the structure of markets and economies, and the relationship between regions within the global economy. Although the department is large, its students enjoy an excellent student-faculty rapport. Many of the faculty members are associated with distinguished research institutions. By being able to study with faculty who are actively engaged in research, students learn not only about the fundamentals of economic theory but also how such theory is utilized. They have the opportunity to conduct research on their own. Honors students are required to write an honors thesis under direct faculty supervision.

Students majoring in economics have many options open to them after graduation. The major prepares them for graduate school in economics, business management, or public administration. Preprofessional students will find that an economics major not only fosters the discipline medical or law school demands, but provides a solid foundation for these and other careers. Employers and professional schools appreciate the skills acquired by economics students and hire economics majors because they can think quantitatively, qualitatively, and analytically. Studying economics at New York University is especially rewarding because of its urban environment. Students often find career opportunities on Wall Street, at the United Nations, or in various corporate, financial, governmental, agency, and nonprofit institutional settings.

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Degrees and Fields of Study

• M.A. in Economics
• M.A.-J.D.  in Economics/Law (Dual Degree)
• M.S. in Quantitative Economics
• Ph.D. in Economics
• Ph.D.-J.D.  in Economics/Law (Dual Degree)

Application Deadlines

Applications and all supporting materials must be  submitted online by 5PM  Eastern Time. If a listed deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or U.S. federal holiday, then the next business day will be the actual deadline.

M.A. Programs

• January 15 : Fall admission

M.S. Program

• February 15 : Summer admission
• Ph.D.-J.D. applicants must submit two separate applications — one to GSAS, and another to NYU Law. Please consult NYU Law Admissions for the J.D. application deadline.

Requirements

In addition to the general application requirements, the department specifically requires:

Test Scores

Gre or gmat required.

• Applicants may choose to submit either the GMAT or the GRE general test. Send official GMAT test scores to GSAS using school code 5TF-5G-76.

GRE Required

• All other programs

TOEFL/IELTS

Applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores unless they:

Are a native English speaker; OR

Are a US citizen or permanent resident; OR

Have completed (or will complete) a baccalaureate or master's degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English.

Statement of Academic Purpose

All programs.

In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU. The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

Writing Sample

Writing sample not required — it will not be reviewed by our Admissions Committee.

The submission of an original research paper is not a requirement of your application. If you do have an original research paper that you would like to submit with your application, please upload a copy of the paper in the Additional Information section of your application.

Writing sample not required, but evidence of original research is encouraged.

Video Statement

Applicants to the Ph.D. program should submit a short video statement. Please read the detailed instructions on the  Videos and Online Materials page .

Special Instructions

M.a. & m.s. programs.

All master's applicants must complete all parts of the online application, including the section labeled "Courses Taken" which requests information on economics and math courses completed previously.

Useful Links

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The Graduate School of Arts and Science reserves the right to change this information at any time. This page supersedes all previous versions.

Last updated August 2023.

Economics (MA)

Program description, dual degrees.

The Master of Arts program is designed to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. It requires a minimum of three semesters of full-time study. The time limit for completion of the degree is five years for both full- and part-time students.

Admission to the Master of Arts program in economics is limited to students of outstanding promise. First and foremost, we aim to admit students with excellent training in economics and quantitative methods—that is, students with grades of A-, A or A+ in economics and mathematics courses at undergraduate level. More specifically, strong applicants will meet the following requirements: GRE Quantitative Reasoning score > 80th percentile (≈ 159 on new scale); GRE Analytical Writing score > 80th percentile (≈ 5.0); GRE Verbal Reasoning score > 50th percentile (≈150), two undergraduate calculus courses (or one calculus & one linear algebra course), one statistics course & one course in econometrics, intermediate microeconomics and intermediate macroeconomics, plus four other undergraduate economics courses, overall GPA of 3.5 and above at the undergraduate level, and TOEFL > 105 (internet-based version) (TOEFL requirement is for international students only). A strong application will have ‘A’ grades in most of these courses (i.e. undergraduate economics, calculus, statistics & econometrics). Please note that we only accept GRE scores. The GRE general test is required for all applicants. No exceptions are granted. GMAT will not be accepted in place of the general GRE. We evaluate applications on their general merits. What is important is the total picture of an applicant’s competence, not performance on an individual criterion.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See Economics for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

The Economics Department offers two dual degrees with the NYU School of Law:

• Economics (MA)/Law (JD)
• Economics (PhD)/Law (JD)

See Economics for additional information and admission requirements specific to these programs.

Program Requirements

Formal requirements for the Master of Arts degree in economics are the satisfactory completion of graduate studies totaling at least 32 credits and the writing of a special project report. In order to graduate, students must complete at least 24 credits within the Department of Economics at New York University (i.e., courses with an ECON-GA prefix). Transfer credits do not count toward this requirement. Most courses carry 3 credits; the special project carries 2 credits. Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 with 18 credits of B or better. Students may take 8 credits outside the Department of Economics.

Additional Program Requirements

Special project.

Students are required to complete a special project for this program.

Sample Plan of Study

Learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have achieved the following skills and abilities:

• Skills in advanced economics, particularly mainstream macroeconomics and microeconomics. Students should acquire the analytical toolkit used in contemporary microeconomics and macroeconomics. Students should acquire knowledge of the main questions addressed in modern macroeconomics and microeconomics and how they relate to contemporary markets and economic systems. They should obtain knowledge of the determinants of the main macroeconomic aggregates, such as output, consumption, unemployment, wages, inflation and the interest rate.
• Skills in econometrics and statistics for quantitative research and analysis. They should acquire working knowledge of various topics in statistics that are needed to understand econometric theory, including random variables, mathematical expectations, estimation and inference. They should obtain a good grasp of the simple regression model, multivariable regression analysis, hypothesis testing, specification analysis and the generalized regression model (including random effects models), instrumental variable models, simultaneous equation models, some topics in macroeconometrics and microeconometrics. In addition, student should acquire knowledge of methodological issues related to generalized method of moments and maximum likelihood estimation. They should also obtain preliminary knowledge of the techniques of machine learning and their application in economics.
• Skills in mathematical techniques. Students should acquire knowledge of appropriate mathematical methods that relate to various types of economic analysis. They should acquire working knowledge of the concept of sets, set operations, functions, matrix algebra, partial differentiation, techniques for unconstrained optimization. They should be able to apply these techniques in economic equilibrium analysis.
• Skills in applied economic analysis and public policy analysis. This covers a diverse range of skills, reflecting the broad coverage of applied economics courses that we offer (e.g. applied game theory, economic analysis of law, financial economics).

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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Funding Packages for Full-Time PhD Students

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student, you are eligible for our generous funding package, which includes a stipend, scholarship, and healthcare coverage. Information is below and on our doctoral funding website. 

Funding Opportunities

The Steinhardt Fellowship Program

The standard Steinhardt Fellowship package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance through your fifth year. The fellowship is reserved for full-time doctoral students. The 2024-2025 stipend is $33,867. Complete details are provided with each offer of admission.

Research Assistantships

Some doctoral students may be appointed to a Research Assistantship. Research Assistants are funded by external grants and work with a principal investigator on a funded research project. Unlike Steinhardt Fellows, Research Assistants agree to work 20 hours per week on an ongoing research project, typically with a team of faculty and other students. Research Assistants may not perform additional work assignments such as teaching or grading.

For the duration of the assistantship, Research Assistants receive funding that includes a stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance.

Other Expenses to Consider

Beyond what is covered by your Steinhardt Fellowship or Research Assistantship, you may have additional expenses that you should keep in mind as you plan your budget. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Late registration fees
• Tuition for undergraduate courses
• Tuition for graduate courses not applicable to your degree
• Tuition for courses in excess of the total point requirement for your degree
• Tuition for courses completed after the end of the fifth year
• Tuition for courses and fees used to maintain official enrollment for study leading to a degree after the end of the fifth year; see doctoral student policies for more information
• Student health insurance for students beyond the fifth year (note that students who are employed by NYU, such as Research Assistants or Adjunct Instructors, may receive health insurance as an employee benefit)

2024 Graduation Speakers

Bs student speakers, raeli chesser.

While earning her BS in Social Work, Raeli Chesser (she/her) minored in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She has served as Co-President of Silver’s Undergraduate Student Government Association for two years and sat on the Health and Wellness Committee and All-University Events Committee for NYU Student Government Association. Raeli received the Community Catalyst Distinction Award at the 2024 Silver Student Awards. After graduation, Raeli is moving back home to Arkansas and will be continuing her education by starting her Master’s in Social Work this fall. She is passionate about working with children and adolescents and would like to do clinical work in a hospital or school setting. Raeli has a special interest in art therapy and is excited to incorporate those practices into her future work.

Enya Tellez

Enya Tellez (they/she) is excited to be graduating from NYU Silver with a BS in Social Work and Communicative Sciences and Disorders.  During their time at Silver, Enya served on the school’s Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) each year—this past year as Co-President. In addition to their work on USGA, Enya fostered their interest in policy by co-chairing the Chair Election Reform Committee on NYU’s university-wide student government, which passed a resolution to popularly elect the student government Chair. Enya is passionate about disability justice and aims to empower and advocate with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in their work. After graduation, they will return home to California to work at Camp Krem Yosemite, a camp serving people with disabilities. Enya has been a part of the Camp Krem community since 2018 and can't wait to reunite with their friends!

MSW Student Speaker

John m. pino.

John M. Pino (he/him) is a proud Greek Orthodox of Puerto Rican, Greek and Cuban descent. Passionate about advocacy and mental health awareness, John has used his college experience to work with people of all ages in breaking down barriers caused by the stigmas of mental health diagnoses, and address common mental health crises amongst BIPOC. Some key positions John has held in his career include Mental Health Advocate with Hartwick College’s Office of Residential Life, Crisis and Mediation Specialist with the Police Athletic League, and HUD/VASH Social Worker Intern with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition to his practicum work, John has served two years with NYU Silver’s Graduate Student Association, where he first served as co-First Year Advocate, and currently holds the position of Vice President. John aspires to continue working in the community and providing Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) with essential mental health resources, hopefully bridging the gap for underrepresented populations.

DSW Student Speaker

Carmen villavicencio-hein.

Carmen Villavicencio-Hein (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker who has served youth and families from ethnic and racial minoritized backgrounds in educational and foster care settings for over 15 years. She received a Master’s in Social Work and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration. Carmen works as a Supervisor of School Social Workers at the New York City Public Schools, where she co-founded a central-based social work initiative delivering multi-tiered crisis and preventive support. She uses her platform to highlight the importance of school social work through advocacy and activism at the local and state governmental levels. An immigrant from Colombia and an English Language Learner, she has committed her work and scholarship to improving the delivery of accessible, equitable, and culturally responsive services to marginalized communities. Her dedication to social work and continuing to elevate the practice brought her to pursue a doctorate at NYU, where she now teaches as an adjunct, offering students an experiential learning experience.

PhD Student Speaker

Sabrina renee cluesman, msw, lcsw.

Sabrina Cluesman (she/they) is a PhD Candidate at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work whose research agenda aims to advance the science of HIV prevention. Their dissertation research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), focuses on the experiences of gender minority youth and emerging adults 13-24 years of age who identify as transgender and gender-expansive (e.g., gender non-binary, non-conforming, genderqueer), including those who identify as Black and Latinx, and explores questions related to the connections between gender minority stress and heavy substance use behaviors and how these may impact preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) outcomes, and importantly on understanding how gender affirmation in multiple settings might moderate these relationships. Before joining NYU, Sabrina spent almost 20 years in direct clinical practice, including 14+ years working for JASMYN, an LGBTQIA youth non-profit, in Jacksonville, FL, where she co-created extensive case clinical services for the agency, including their status neutral Sexual Health Clinic.

Kanbar Institute of Film & Television Graduate Film

Be a part of the next wave..

The Graduate Film program is an intensive three-year conservatory in the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television that trains students in the art of cinematic storytelling. We focus on helping writer/directors develop a narrative voice and the technical virtuosity to express that voice in cinema.

Students learn by doing, in the classroom and on set. They write, direct, and produce multiple films and exercises, shooting and crewing on each other's projects. Our students transition into the professional world with a reel of short films that showcase their talent, a feature film script, and a range of highly sought technical skills.

The Graduate Film Program offers a stimulating, challenging, and diverse creative community in the heart of Greenwich Village. Our faculty are working professionals who are committed to developing the next generation of filmmakers.

My students teach me.

Artistic Director

Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

• Degree Programs

7.0. Financial Assistance

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis each year. Only students in the M.S. thesis option and the Ph.D. program are eligible for these assistantships. Teaching assistantships require the student to serve as instructor for undergraduate courses or laboratories under faculty supervision. Research assistantships require the student to assist on one or more research projects under faculty supervision.

Half-time graduate assistantship require that the student work 20 hours per week. Assistantships are considered half-time employment and the student is responsible for the hours of work and for the work output. A graduate assistant does not accrue annual leave. Each M.S.-thesis option student who is on a half-time graduate assistantship is required to register for 12 credit hours each regular semester and 6 credit hours for each summer session (with 2 summer sessions per summer). Ph.D. students who are on half-time graduate assistantships are required to register for 12 hours in each regular semester and 3 hours in each summer session. A graduate assistant is expected to remain free from other employment.

The assistantship stipends follow University guidelines and are subject to change each year. Students must maintain a B average or better and perform assigned duties in a satisfactory manner to retain a graduate assistantship. Performance is reviewed each semester.

A limited number of scholarships are available on the basis of need and academic achievement. Contact the department Graduate Advisor for more information.

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Graduate Program

The doctoral program.

The doctoral program provides students with a sophisticated and critical grounding in economic analysis, so that they can contribute creatively to research, teaching, and social policy. This commitment has gained the department an international reputation as a center of research in innovative approaches to economics.

The entering graduate class consists of 10 to 12 students each year. The focus of the department, as well as its policy of maintaining small classes and promoting close contact between faculty and students, has permitted the program to attract talented students on a par with other highly selective graduate programs in the country.

The students are of diverse backgrounds, nationality, gender, and race. They are drawn by the program's strengths in such areas as political economy, development economics, international economics, economic history, gender and class, labor economics, comparative economic systems, and growth and distribution as well as in theoretical and applied micro- and macroeconomics. This leads to a breadth of perspective unusual among graduate programs in economics.

Students can work with faculty on research employing a variety of approaches to economics, including neoclassical, Marxist, institutionalist, feminist, and post-Keynesian approaches.  The faculty's research interests include pure theory, empirical work, and policy analysis.

The Department is committed to innovation in economic theory, to improvement in economic life, and to be an open environment for critical intellectual inquiry. This diversity has proved fertile ground for learning and research.

Our graduates have been recruited by leading liberal arts and research institutions in the United States and abroad. They include such public institutions as the Universities of California, Texas, Michigan State, and Vermont; private universities such as American University, Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Notre Dame, and the University of Southern California; and such liberal arts colleges as Bowdoin, Colby, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Knox, Franklin and Marshall, Skidmore, William and Mary, Grinnell, and Middlebury.  Others have chosen to work in such non-academic institutions as the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations, the Economic Policy Institute, and various labor union research and education departments.

The University is located in Amherst which is situated in the historic Pioneer Valley--one of the most interesting natural and social environments in New England. Bordering on the Berkshire hills, the area is noted for its year-round musical and arts activity.

The home of Smith, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Amherst Colleges as well as the University of Massachusetts, the Valley enjoys sophisticated musical, artistic, political, and recreational resources. Amherst is two hours from Boston, four hours from New York, and one hour from Bradley International Airport. There are ample bus and train connections for domestic and international travel.

The Master of Arts Degree

The Graduate Program in Economics is primarily designed for doctoral candidates, but a Master of Arts in Economics can be awarded along the way. Course requirements for the Master's are the same as for the PhD The Comprehensive Examinations, Dissertation Prospectus, and Doctoral Dissertation are not required. The candidate may elect to submit a Master's thesis, but it is not required.

4+1 Accelerated Master's Degree

Please note:  the 4+1 program is undergoing departmental review and is not accepting new applications at this time..

The 4+1 MA in the Department of Economics is an accelerated master's degree program for undergraduate students at UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College, and Smith College. Students are accepted into this program in the spring semester of their junior year, and in their fourth year they take two graduate courses each semester. In the fifth year, a student takes four graduate courses each semester, for a total of 12 courses, or 36 credits.

UMass students who have accumulated at least 126 credits by the end of their senior year can count up to six credits of graduate course work toward both their BA and MA, completing both degrees in five years. Students at the other four colleges should consult their academic advisor to determine how they can complete the MA degree in the fifth year.

If you are exploring the possibility of the 4+1 MA, contact our  Graduate Program Office . UMass undergraduates can speak with an  academic advisor  about general questions concerning how to manage course loads and course overloads.

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Crotty Hall 412 North Pleasant Street University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01002 413-545-2590

Department of Economics | Full-time Faculty

Full-time faculty.

UCLA Graduate Student Huihuang Zhu is the 2024 recipient of the Treiman Fellowship

UCLA Department of Economics

8283 Bunche Hall Mail Stop: 147703 Los Angeles, CA 90095

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PhD student: Economics of electricity markets and EV charging

Job information, offer description.

The newly established research group „Information Systems Research and Energy Storage Networks“ at the Department of Law, Business, and Economics and the University of Bayreuth’s Bavarian Center for Battery Technology (BayBatt) is looking for a

     PhD researcher (m/f/d)

to start as of June 01, 2024, or later. The research group focuses on the economics of renewable energy systems and, in particular, the role of electric vehicles. Current projects analyze the contribution of electric vehicles to efficient operations of electricity markets, economic policies and market design for charging markets, and innovation in the automotive industry.

The group will be headed by Dr. Marie-Louise Arlt, incoming assistant professor and head of the research group. More information on her background and current research can be found on her website.

The University of Bayreuth is a research-oriented university. Specifically, the group is based at BayBatt which brings together battery-specific expertise in physics and chemistry, material science and engineering, as well as information technology and economics as a supra-regional competence center located in Bayreuth.

Your profile: We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a strong interest in renewable electricity market operations and economic approaches to integrate storage and electric vehicles, in particular. Our research group aims to investigate such questions using optimization, simulation, as well as empirical methods leveraging real-world data. There are ample opportunities and academic freedom to shape the specific research questions to be investigated.

The ideal candidate has successfully and excellently completed a Master’s degree in either information systems research, operations research, economics, industrial engineering and management, engineering, or related disciplines; as well as an interest in passing disciplinary boundaries between economics, data science, and technology. Fluency in English is required; knowledge of German is not required but is a plus. We are also open to applications from candidates who have collected practical experience in the industry after completing their Master’s.

The University of Bayreuth values the diversity of its employees and is expressly committed to the goal of gender equality.

Your tasks: Your primary objective is to conduct state-of-the-art research in the described field of research, with the objective to complete a PhD. Moreover, the candidate will help to establish and manage cooperations with partners from the industry, contribute to policy-relevant analyses, and support the head of the group in teaching activities.

What we offer: We are a young research group and provide the opportunity to motivated candidates to shape a research environment in the making (official start of the group: June 01, 2024). We work at the intersection of economics and technology and aim to leverage our research to inform the policy debate on electricity markets and decarbonization. The group is embedded in an international research network. International conference participation and research visits will be actively supported.

The position is a TVL E-13 position (100%), paid according to the public sector agreement of the Free State of Bavaria, for an initial duration of three years. The successful candidate will become part of the Bayreuth Graduate School which offers courses and personal budget for conferences etc.

Application: The first application deadline is May 19, 2024. Please apply through the application portal of the University of Bayreuth, using the subject “WInfBatt”. Please include an application letter highlighting your motivation and your possible starting date; CV (up to two pages); a grading transcript; certificates of potential completed studies; two reference letters of professors or relevant mentors.

Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Marie-Louise Arlt for questions (contact details on her website and the application portal).

Requirements

Additional information, work location(s), where to apply.

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Lamont Musicology Student Channels Research and Music Making Toward Building Community, Bridging Divides

Susan dugan.

​When Tommy Dainko started piano lessons in second grade, he had no idea that the opportunity his mother had taken on his behalf would spark a lifelong passion for music.

“She worked in an elementary school where the music teacher was offering staff members free piano lessons for their children,” he explained. “I always joke that she probably never expected that one little decision to determine my life’s work.”

Today a Lamont School of Music student in the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS) set to graduate in June with a master’s degree in musicology, Dainko took to the instrument right away. By sixth grade, he gravitated to percussion keyboard instruments — marimba, xylophone and bells — when he joined the school band.

“They had the same layout as the piano, really cool colors and unique sounds,” he said. “In an orchestra setting you’re usually the only person playing that part and get to be like a soloist which is really fun.”

When he began searching for college music programs in high school, a friend recommended Lamont, where Adjunct Faculty and Director of Percussion Studies John Kinzie , principal percussionist with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, directs the percussion studies program. Dainko applied and received a note back from Kinzie inviting him to set up a lesson and offering to show him around. “That personal connection really drew me in, the financing worked out and I ended up here,” Dainko said.

Under Kinzie’s mentorship, Dainko took master classes with visiting professional percussionists from around the country, including Bob Becker, “one of the foundational percussionists in America,” Dianko said. “I got to work with him one-on-one and he programmed some ensemble works that allowed me and several other students to perform chamber music with him.”

Dainko credits that experience with instilling an ongoing love for chamber music and teaching him “how professionals act in a performance setting.”

While fulfilling required music history credits, Dainko discovered a fascination with musicology — the study of music from a historical and cultural perspective — and started meeting with professors during office hours to dive deeper.

Especially taken with Adjunct Faculty Petra Meyer-Frazier’s classes on Romantic musicology and modern musicology, he consulted her frequently, “asking what I’m sure were annoying questions about how she got into this and why,” Dainko said, laughing. “She was so wonderful and patient, she helped my writing so much and really brought the class material to life. It was almost like she was acting out the historical events and she was so good at engaging students.”

Inspired, Dainko decided to pursue musicology in grad school. Following graduation in June 2022, he started the musicology master’s program in fall 2022 after receiving Lamont’s Music Dean’s scholarship and Hannah Levy scholarship.

In the master’s program, Dainko worked as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) for Meyer-Frazier, among other professors. “It was cool to be on the other side, watch others learn what I had learned a few years before and now also be teaching that material,” he said. “I still try to emulate her teaching.”

According to Meyer-Frazier, “Tommy works hard to inform, but also to inquire and improve, in the classroom and in his research. He thinks across performance and research traditions in new, innovative ways and is eager to share his passion with others. His intrinsic intellectual curiosity, his passion for and rigor within the field of musicology and his desire to inquire stand out. Tommy exemplifies these traits in his nationally and internationally presented papers, his varied work at Lamont and his standing among his peers.”

As a GTA, Dainko has worked for professors teaching various courses, typically observing lectures during the week and then organizing and presenting new material in Friday labs. He currently serves as GTA for his thesis advisor Zoe Weiss , assistant professor of musicology, in her class on Baroque music. Through Weiss he’s also learning and performing the viola da gamba, a new [to him] instrument dating back to the 1400s.

“She is new to Lamont and brought with her a music performance program focused on historical performance using recreated instruments from the past,” Dainko said. “It’s been a lot of fun to engage with history in this way and work with an instrument on which I’m an amateur again.”

Weiss also helped Dainko with a project last year that fed into his thesis topic. He took this project to Edinburgh, Scotland, to present at a conference on Ludomusicology — music for videogames.

“I got to talk about my research on videogame music and addressed a game called ‘The Pathless,’” Dainko said. “Composer Austin Wintory collaborated with Tuvan music group the Alash Ensemble and incorporated their music into the game in a big orchestral tract. I was really interested in the way you have two musical cultures talking to each other in this game.”

Dainko’s thesis explores how videogame composers advance two kinds of “others”—the “historical other” — focused on presenting music traditions from the past to transport players to different time periods — versus what Dainko calls the “geographical other.”

The latter involves “using traditions like exoticism to deepen divides and stereotypes.” Dainko cites a popular game from the 1970s called “‘Punch Out.’ It was a boxing game that included a lot of problematic depictions of fighters and used very stereotypical music that almost feels like a caricature of other cultures rather than showing what other cultures have to offer.”

Weiss calls Dainko’s research “exciting and original, combining his love of medieval music with his love of videogames to explore how music influences depictions of medieval worlds in games. It’s been a huge pleasure collaborating with him on his thesis project, as well as making music together in viol consort. Tommy has a great ear for musical detail and meaning which serves him well as both a scholar and a musician. I’m so proud of everything he’s accomplished and can’t wait to hear all about his future successes.”

In his six years at Lamont, Dainko has worked in a variety of roles including the Newman Center Box Office and Lamont Admissions, alongside Lamont Manager of Marketing and Communications Angela Mitchell . “Angela was wonderful to work with and I really liked getting to engage with prospective students, offer them my experiences as a percussionist at Lamont, watch them audition and then welcome those who chose the school the following year,” he said.

Mitchell, who worked with Dainko throughout his time as an undergraduate, said she was "always so impressed with his work ethic, meticulous attention to detail and warm personality.”

In his current position as education program assistant, Dainko assists Luke Wachter, associate director of education initiatives, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, a program aimed at engaging public and private school students with music through a matinee series open to schools throughout Colorado.

"At Lamont we have different ensembles through which we engage with each other and bring community in but there are many other ways in which music is used for community making … I think we have a responsibility to educate people and bring them together, not to create divides by the kind of othering I’m addressing in my thesis." Tommy Dainko '14

Dainko supports community outreach including “Musical Explorers,” a program that invites second graders in Denver Public Schools to Lamont to engage with musicians. “We bring in two local musicians from different music cultures and an international musician to connect students to music and cultures from all over the world,” Dainko said. “The students get to interact with the artists, sing and dance. It’s incredibly fun and exciting.”

He believes these kinds of projects have the power to change the world by fostering community.

“At Lamont we have different ensembles through which we engage with each other and bring community in but there are many other ways in which music is used for community making,” he said. “That’s why I’m drawn to videogame music. So many people interact with music by playing those games and I think we have a responsibility to educate people and bring them together, not to create divides by the kind of othering I’m addressing in my thesis.”

Outside school, Dainko participates in a Denver-Boulder Shape Note Singing [a tradition of singing from books printed in shape notes] Group. “I think participation in musical experiences like that is one way of building community and making our world better,” he said.

He has been offered a spot in Cornell’s doctoral musicology program and plans to begin pursuing a PhD there in August. He dreams of becoming a professor one day and gives thanks for the unwavering support he’s received from Lamont faculty, mentors and peers.

“It’s made me think more critically about the world, the materials we put out as artists and the way they are received,” he said. “I’ve learned that it’s OK to put my ideas out there and it’s given me confidence as a researcher.”

He added that the opportunity to move around and try on “different roles and programs at Lamont has given me so many new views through which to see and interact with the world.”

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