Graduate Student Ambassadors

Through their personal experience as graduate students in our Applied Economics and International and Development Economics programs, our Student Ambassadors are a valuable point of contact for prospective students. Student Ambassadors are available to connect with interested applicants, answer questions, and held navigate resources available at USF and the Economics department. 

If you are a prospective or admitted student, please feel free to reach out to our Student Ambassadors. 

Student Ambassadors will not be able to provide guidance on specific questions regarding applications and admissions policies and procedures, or any questions that involve specific personal information. Please contact the Admissions Team, via econ@usfca.edu (for MS AE) or idec@usfca.edu (for MS IDEC), for these types of questions.

Meet our Graduate Student Ambassadors

Sofia

MS in Applied Economics

Hi! I’m Sofia Iantorno, a first year student in the MS in Applied Economics program at USF. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a specialization in Quantitative Analysis and a minor in Italian from San Diego State University.

I chose the Applied Economics program at USF because of its emphasis on combining economics with data science, as well as its stunning location in San Francisco. The Applied Economics program focuses on building knowledge in programming languages like Python and R through courses like econometrics and machine learning.

I am happy to chat about coursework, work and study balance, adjusting to grad school, or any other related questions. Feel free to reach out!

Contact Sofia at ssiantorno@dons.usfca.edu

Mbaire 

MS in International & Development Economics

Hi! I'm Mbaire, a second-year master's student in the International and Development Economics (IDEC) program at the University of San Francisco. I'm originally from Nairobi, Kenya, and I chose IDEC because I wanted to have a better understanding of how people make economic decisions and how we can use evidence-based research to develop policies that better serve people's needs and create sustainable opportunities for underserved communities and the next generation.

This summer, I'm conducting research on how AI can improve financial literacy among women in Uganda. Outside the classroom, I serve as the Finance Representative for the Black Graduate Student Association. I'm always happy to chat about the IDEC program, research opportunities, student life, or what it's like to study at USF as an international student. Feel free to reach out!

Contact Mbaire at mmmbaire@dons.usfca.edu