Megan Kveragas is a 2023 Master of Quantitative Economics (MQE) student. Read her spotlight to learn more about her and why she chose the MQE program and her career aspirations she hopes to achieve through this program!
Q. What did you study as an undergraduate student and what were your academic goals?
I double majored in economics and Spanish at Muhlenberg College where I graduated summa cum laude with honors in economics. As an undergraduate, I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school for economics, so to prepare, I made sure to take extra math courses and completed an undergraduate honors thesis to get some research experience.
Q. Why did you choose the MQE Program and what do you believe makes Pitt’s MQE Program unique?
I chose the MQE Program because of the focus on career development and the capstone project. The Program connects its students with business leaders through its career chats which allows me to not only learn about different industries but also how I can use my skills in different applications. The capstone project is what makes the Program the most unique in my opinion. By working directly with a Pittsburgh area company, I will be able to mesh my skills and knowledge of economic theory to help with a real problem the company is facing.
Q. When you envision your future career, what do you see and how can MQE help you achieve that image?
I am not sure what specific industry I want to end up in. However, I have a background in banking and my favorite part of that job was when I could explain a highly technical banking solution to a customer in a clear and concise manner. I want to use the elevated skillset that the MQE provides to solve data-driven problems and most importantly be able to communicate these findings to individuals and teams who do not have a highly technical background.
The MQE program will help me achieve this goal because of its focus in communication skills, career-development services, and technical skills relevant to current data-analysis.
Q. What classes are you looking forward to the most?
I am most looking forward to “Incentives and Information” and the Capstone. During my undergraduate years I took a course on Game Theory and was fascinated by the mechanics behind games, strategy, and bargaining, which is why I am looking forward to “Incentives and Information.” As for the Capstone, I am excited to put all the tools from the program together to solve a real problem that a local firm is facing. I think the Capstone is a great opportunity to showcase my skills and will be a fantastic project to bring up while in interviews.