Conrad Becomes Pomona's Third Carnegie Professor of the Year Winner in Three Years
By Sirinya Tritipeskul
Copy Editor
On November 21 Pomona Professor of Economics Cecilia Conrad was named California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement in Teaching, making her the third Pomona professor in three years to win the award.
In addition to announcements congratulating Conrad and the two previous winners of the award, the College honored Conrad by organizing a reception in the Carnegie building lobby on December 4 in her honor. Over 50 students and faculty members turned out to congratulate Conrad, including Economics department chair Professor Wykoff, who called Conrad a "dedicated scholar" and Professor of Economics Hans Palmer, who said Conrad embodied "what we cherish most: teaching."
Conrad said she was "thrilled" when she was notified of her selection. At the reception in her honor, Conrad thanked students and faculty for nominating her. In an interview, Conrad revealed that she was slightly nervous when she was first nominated in the spring by the college, "I worried that I was going to be the one who broke the streak!" she said.
She needn't have worried. Those in attendance at the reception spoke proudly of Conrad. Professor of Sociology Lynn Rappaport claimed Conrad "exemplifies the best of qualities one could want in a colleague. She makes Pomona proud."
Students at the reception attributed Conrad's popularity to a variety of things, including her effort to increase the presence of minorities in economics. Albert Tsoi '03, a PPE major, explained how Conrad drew him into the major: "[Conrad] showed me that social consciousness is not incompatable with students studying economics."
Pamela Grewal '03, one of Conrad's advisees and research assistants, explained that minority students, especially women of color, were drawn to her classes because Conrad is "casual, respectful, and effective." Clarence Mitchell '03, a PPE major, praised Conrad in a more direct fashion: "She's my hero."
Conrad is also actively involved in the lives of students. She invites students to her home at Thanksgiving. In the spring, she also offers a shopping trip to the annual Professor Auction. Conrad brightened up in describing the experience: "I don't have any daughters, so shopping with four young women is always a learning experience. They talked me into buying a blouse [last year], but I haven't worn it yet," she confessed.
Conrad, who has been at Pomona since 1997, teaches courses in microeconomics, regression analysis, as well as courses delving into issues of income inequality across race and gender boundaries. Her classes are wildly popular; last spring, the line to register for her Race in the US Economy course extended past the door.
Perhaps one of the reasons Conrad's courses are so popular is because she tries to make herself accessible. Unlike many professors who would prefer to lead advanced studies in their fields, Conrad said she enjoys teaching introductory microeconomics. "You get such a wide mix of students, some vigilantly opposed against economics," she said. "They'll argue against the principle of economics. But I enjoy helping these students learn how to use the tools of economics and see trade-offs."
To excite her students about economics, a field sometimes perceived to focus solely on number crunching, Conrad tries to bring the subject to life: "Remember how you always see widget examples in textbooks?" she asked, referring to the classic "product" of economic exercises. I run this fun little exercise in my intro courses about making widgets. Studying comparative advantage can be pretty boring, so I arrange that the students literally get into an assembly line and make widgets."
Conrad also devotes her time to the Pipeline Project, a project sponsored by the American Economics Association and funded by the MacArthur Foundation as an effort to boost the number of minorities who major in economics and go on to receive graduate degrees. Currently, Conrad is a member of the steering committee for the U.C. Irvine Diversity Grant, the purpose of which is to study methods to increase minority enrollment at the college.
The ads, which appeared on December 3 in the The Los Angeles Times as well as in the west coast versions of the The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times pictured Conrad and the previous winners, Professor of Psychology Nicole Weekes and Professor of Music Katherine Hagedorn, under the banner, "Pomona College Congratulates California's Professors of the Year." The ads were placed as part of an on-going effort by the college to increase Pomona's visibility amongst prospective students and within the local community.
Jimmy Lloyd '03, an economics major and one of Conrad's advisees, remarked that publicity was not such a bad thing. "Maybe it'll help me get a job," he joked, "Nobody has ever heard of Pomona College."
While the ads' effect on the college's reputation is yet to be seen, Conrad has no doubts that they have boosted her personal prestige. The day after the ads appeared, a high school student from Missouri e-mailed Conrad to inquire about Pomona. Later, at the reception, Conrad announced she had heard from former students, and even some ex-boyfriends.
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