With a passion for politics and a fondness for tutoring, Austin is combining both to make complex systems more digestible for everyone.

Helping others along in their journey

“I have had the opportunity to influence other's life via my jobs as an SSS Tutor/Mentor and SI Leader. In one situation, I was able to work with a student to apply for the Ross School of business. After months of working with her, she got accepted and is now attending the school for her degree.

“In general, tutoring gives me a sense of accomplishment because it allows me to assist other people and watch the students grow and improve over time.”

Making the ELB more energy efficient

“I am currently doing research in partnership with DTE to find more energy-efficient ways to power the ELB on campus. So far, the experience of working with DTE to better our college buildings has been very rewarding. Even though the students do not feel the immediate impact of this research, it shows how this initial research will set a framework for future building models.”

Economics 101

“I am passionate about politics and using my economics degree to better understand ways to support the general public. I have found that politicians (and politics in general) appeal to sentiment and persuasive language to encourage voters to cast their ballots for them. 

“However, I firmly believe if you can understand the economy and help people understand the economy and how it works, you can persuade people with logistics rather than appealing to emotions. People will often base their feelings on appearance, but if you can somehow influence and persuade a population based on something they do not fully understand (the economy) you can better shape their perspective and you can discuss more important matters.”