Aveesha Gandhi is a 3rd year from Delhi studying Econ and Math. Her interests lie at the intersection of the technology and the automotive sectors, and she is passionate about exploring innovations in these spheres by applying behavioral science principles to the financial markets as a whole. Outside UCBEA, Aveesha trains in yoga and dance and is an avid Formula 1 fan!

Anushka Bansal is a third-year from Delhi studying economics and creative writing. She is excited about consulting, startups, and education, and continually curious about how behavioral economics plays a quiet yet profound role in guiding lifelong decision-making. Beyond UCBEA, Anushka can be found exploring tea blends, writing for the Maroon, dancing with Apsara, and reading murder mysteries during long flights!

Evan Mathura is a second year studying Mathematics with a specialization in Economics. Reading the works of Richard Thaler, like Nudge, really interested him in the applications of psychology to economics, rather than purely theoretical frameworks. Seeing that just small changes in human behavior can result in substantial results for businesses and governments alike made Evan want to study the field of behavioral economics further. Besides economics, Evan is interested in linguistics, Sanskrit, and religious studies.

Jennifer Cresap is a third year from Orange County, California studying Economics and Public Policy. She became interested in behavioral economics and its policy applications in high school when she interned at USC’s Los Angeles Behavioral Economics Laboratory. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, baking, and sewing.

Emma is a 3rd year from the Bay Area currently studying psychology and minoring in neuroscience and helah&society. She enjoys learning about the mind, especially through her work at the DIBS and CAB lab. Her current focus is cognitive psychology, and she loves learning about behavioral responses that also apply to behavioral economics as well. Outside of school, Emma loves chairing Model UN conferences, playing on UChicago’s Club Tennis Team, and dancing for UChicago’s NEXUS k-pop dance crew. She loves watching movies with her friends and is always down for a sushi dinner!

Arzoo Usgaonkar is a second-year from Mumbai, India. She is studying psychology and economics and wants to understand how patterns in decision making affect individuals’ financial outcomes. Beyond UCBEA, Arzoo spends her time working at a lab on campus and attempting to explore every restaurant in Chicago!! 

Henry Ponyicsanyi is a third-year from Bethesda, Maryland. He is studying Business Economics and Psychology, and is particularly interested in what motivates consumers and (their often irrational) decisions. Henry works as an RA at the Center for Decision Research Lab, where he is able to run studies exploring the intricacies of human behavior. In his free time, Henry enjoys going to the gym, eating Korean BBQ, and reading nonfiction. 

Mete Bakircioglu is a third-year from Portland, Oregon. He is studying Cognitive Science & Economics and hopes to attain a Masters in Computational Social Science (Econ concentration) in his fifth year at UChicago. Engaging with behavioral economics each day as an RA at Mindworks, a Center for Decision Research lab and discovery center, inspired Mete to immerse himself more deeply in the field. He hopes to bring cognitive and economic models into the same space in order to better understand human behavior. Mete enjoys rereading middle school classics, tasting dark chocolates, and tossing frisbees to those who toss them back.

Nadia is a second year from Dallas, Texas. She’s studying Business Economics and Political Science and hopes to attend law school after her time in the college. She’s particularly interested in the applications of behavioral economics in the food industry. Aside from UCBEA, she is also a member on the mock trial team and enjoys thrifting and collecting vinyls.