Q&A: Meet Professor Cynthia Bansak
Meet Your Economics Mentor
Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics Cynthia Bansak brings a wealth of expertise in labor economics, immigration, and international finance to her teaching. Known for her engaging style and ability to connect theory with real-world issues, she inspires students to explore how economic principles shape societies and lives.
What’s your favorite class to teach, and why?
I enjoy teaching Econ 100—Principles of Economics—to first- and second-year students as it is often their first exposure to the discipline, and they tend to have diverse interests and plenty of energy. We work together through interactive exercises and make real-world connections to help acquire the tools and skills students need for economic thinking that they will use in other classes and life decisions.
How do you make your courses engaging?
I do my best to make daily connections to economic and financial news. Students are expected to know the top economic headlines and we often have in-person or virtual alumni guests to help make connections between economic theory and the real world. There is also an emphasis in all my classes on building job-ready skills such as networking, teamwork, data analysis, and communication.
What do you value most about the students you teach?
I enjoy how willing St. Lawrence students are to engage with new ideas, in-class exercises, on-line tools, and challenging materials. Hundreds of students have completed the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) certificate to acquire skills to use the Bloomberg Terminals in the Bloomberg Finance Lab. We've also competed well in the Federal Reserve's Fed Challenge competition against over 100 schools annually. These experiences and opportunities are unique to St. Lawrence students and allow me to also learn new technical skills and evolve monetary theory and policy with the students.
Has a student ever changed your perspective on a subject or challenged you in a meaningful way?
Yes, students have certainly changed my perspective and challenged me in meaningful ways. One example is when Animesh Giri '08 shared data on remittances to Nepal in our econometrics class. His analysis of the data shed light on the benefits and costs of migration and resulted in several publications and a University-sponsored trip to Nepal in 2013 with other students and Professor Brian Chezum. Since then, traveling with students and developing global citizenship has become one of my main areas of interest, and I have spent time with students in Canada, NYC, the UK, France, Nepal, Senegal, Finland, and China. I encourage all students to spend time abroad, whether it is for a semester or several weeks in the summer or between semesters.
What surprises students most about you?
They may be surprised to learn that I am still running marathons after 25 years and hope to hit my 20th this year.
What’s been your proudest moment as a professor?
I was proud when my Fed Challenge team came in second in the nation in the fall of 2020. Not only did they beat many Ivy League teams, they also stayed resilient, motivated, and inspired to work hard during the extreme uncertainties of the pandemic. I think the 2020 team and I will forever be connected by that experience.
What’s a favorite alumni success story?
There are too many to list. Students from St. Lawrence have a myriad of successful careers, and they continue to reinvent themselves. I enjoy reconnecting with former students at alumni events in NYC and abroad. They are ready to give back to current students and to help the SLU network thrive.
