Troy Durie
Troy Durie
Class Year
’18
Current home
Washington D.C.
Major(s)
Economics
Current Position
Research Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers
Troy Durie graduated from Carthage in 2018 with a degree in economics. He is now a research economist at the Council of Economic Advisers and recently completed graduate school at the University of Chicago, concentrating on quantitative methods of social analysis.
“The classes [at the University of Chicago] are built around different statistical methods of research,” Mr. Durie said. “I am soon beginning my master’s thesis with members of the economics faculty.”
While at Carthage, Mr. Durie was inspired by his economics professors, deciding what road to take in his career through their support and guidance. He values the relationships he built with his professors, particularly Professor Cassie Lau and Professor Ronald Cronovich, who mentored him in his academics and guided him through the process of applying to graduate school.
How did Carthage prepare you?
“The research opportunities at Carthage were extremely beneficial to me as a research intern with the Council of Economic Advisers at the White House and will continue to help me through graduate school. These opportunities helped me develop research skills, like conducting literature reviews, and helped my data-analysis skills.
“Carthage sharpened my questioning and critical-thinking skills to understand the story the data and prior research tells, and how to effectively communicate these ideas.”
What opportunities were made possible because of your Carthage experience?
“I went on J-Term study tours to China and Japan. Being in rural China and teaching English to middle schoolers came with a lot of challenges, but was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Japan was more formal, meeting business leaders and hearing lectures from foreign affairs officers. Even with how much we explored on the J-Term tour, Japan is a country worth experiencing multiple times and I plan to go back. Through these trips, I learned about new cultures and experienced different ways of life.”