Liberty Initiative Program Fosters Student Opportunities and Outcomes
The University of New HavenӰԭs Liberty Initiative enables students to engage in important and timely real-world research and consulting projects while networking with leading professionals, businesses, and think tanks.
September 10, 2021
By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications
The Liberty Initiative offers opportunities to students in each of the UniversityӰԭs academic colleges and schools.
When Jamie Hickey Ӱԭ22 was a sophomore at the University, she joined the . She says it has been an experience that has pushed her out of her comfort zone.
Focused on student outcomes, the Liberty Initiative enables ӰԭLiberty ScholarsӰԭ such as Hickey to engage in real-world research and consulting projects. Students network with professionals and businesses and conduct impactful real-world research. Hickey says she is grateful for the many opportunities she has had to build important skills, as well as enhance her confidence.
ӰԭI have made great connections and built relationships with my fellow Liberty Initiative scholars, on a professional and personal level, as well as with the professors who guide us through the research process,Ӱԭ said Hickey, an economics major with a minor in finance. ӰԭAlongside my fellow scholars, I have held events to present our findings from our first paper to more than 40 people, something I thought I could never do.Ӱԭ
Students learn from guest speakers as part of the Liberty Initiative.
ӰԭIӰԭm grateful to have this opportunityӰԭ
HickeyӰԭs first paper, Connecticut's Drug Paradox, assessed the impact of drug criminalization on the economy, as well as on drug users and underserved individuals. She is now working on a project titled Poverty and Violence, and she and her fellow researchers are exploring whether there is a correlation between living or growing up in poverty and violent crime.
Open to students of all majors, the Liberty Initiative students say it is an immersive way for students to build important skills that will prepare them for their education or career path post-graduation. Students conduct major research projects on a variety of pressing and multidisciplinary social and economic issues, which they can submit for publication in respected journals. They also present their findings to leading Washington think tanks, work as paid consultants, serve as mentors, and host guest speaker events.
Jamie Hickey Ӱԭ22, an economics major.
Gabrielle Tayag Ӱԭ21, Ӱԭ22 MBA, one of HickeyӰԭs fellow Liberty Scholars, collaborated with her on both projects. They will be presenting their findings at the conference in Chicago later this fall along with Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo, Ph.D., an associate professor of criminal justice.
ӰԭMy hope is for the research to make a strong enough impression to inspire actual change,Ӱԭ said Tayag. ӰԭI hope our work helps make even one personӰԭs quality of life better by using the information to inspire action. I am excited about this opportunity to share our work. I have never attended a conference like this, and never imagined I would be speaking at one. IӰԭm grateful to have this opportunity to learn and grow as a presenter, academic, and professional.Ӱԭ
ӰԭLiberty Scholars gain experience working with serious constituencies and companiesӰԭ
John Rosen, MBA, an adjunct economics professor at the University, serves as co-director of the program, along with Dr. Tcherni-Buzzeo and David Sacco, MBA, a practitioner in residence in the UniversityӰԭs Finance Department.
Prof. Rosen says the Liberty ScholarsӰԭ work has helped them get into their preferred careers or graduate programs. He says the program was designed to be self-funding and self-sustaining.
ӰԭStudents create, develop, and defend their own work as interns for paying consulting clients, contributors to national academic conferences, and researchers for think-tanks across the country,Ӱԭ said Prof. Sacco, who also serves as executive director of , a leading global marketing and strategy consultancy. ӰԭIn doing this Ӱԭ and doing it well Ӱԭ our Liberty Scholars gain experience working with serious constituencies and companies in person outside of the University, preparing them for real-world jobs upon graduation, and earning competitive salaries.Ӱԭ
Ashlyn Mercier Ӱԭ23 presents her research on affordable housing.
ӰԭJoining the Liberty Initiative has helped me growӰԭ
Ashlyn Mercier Ӱԭ23 says she is grateful to have had the opportunity to expand her knowledge of economics while collaborating on a project that could make a real impact. She is part of a team studying affordable housing in Nevada, as well as what can be done to address the shortage of it. She focused her research on the lessons that can be learned from other cities, towns, and countries, such as the Netherlands.
Mercier and her teammates recently presented their findings virtually to the , a think tank, via . The group members presented their research, discussing the economics of housing and offering recommendations for increasing affordable housing.
Gabrielle Tayag Ӱԭ21, Ӱԭ22 MBA.
ӰԭThe Liberty Initiative has been a great hands-on learning experience,Ӱԭ said Mercier, a national security major. ӰԭAny other student who has an interest in economics should consider the Liberty Initiative. I have grown so much as a student and researcher because of the program.Ӱԭ
Students have taken part in a variety of projects with faculty members that explore local, nationwide, and global issues. Scholars have, for example, researched the effects of California wildfires on migration, the impact of ArgentinaӰԭs politics on its economy, and the impact of COVID-19 on technology equities.
For Hickey, the economics major, her work as a Liberty Scholar has already led to an internship with Professors Rosen and Sacco. SheӰԭs looking forward to continuing her work during the current academic year.
ӰԭI have been fortunate to conduct impactful research with these professors and now to be learning from them in a workplace environment,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭJoining the Liberty Initiative has helped me grow and has opened doors for me that I never thought possible. I have expanded my resume and skillset, made great connections, and have been offered great opportunities to network.Ӱԭ