Career Preparation Seminar

Sep 17: Brandon Stoker

Director of Network Design - Supply Chain Analytics at Chick-Fil-A
MA, Econ, Iowa
BA Econ BYU ('07)

Brandon Stoker is proof that a career in economics can be highly creative and engaging. As a leader in analytics and supply chain strategy at Chick-fil-A, he brings a creative approach to solving problems, telling stories with data, and helping people do their best work. He’s known for making complex ideas simple, mentoring future leaders, and making meetings way more fun than they should be.

Sep 24: Karl Snow

Partner at Bates White
PhD Econ, Chicago
BA Econ, BYU ('85)

Karl N. Snow is a Partner at Bates White Economic Consulting, where he serves as an expert in finance, economics, and statistics. He regularly provides testimony in federal and state courts on asset valuation, economic damages, financial securities, and data analysis, drawing on extensive experience in high-profile matters. Before joining Bates White, he held senior roles at Welch Consulting, Freddie Mac, and UBS, and previously taught finance and economics at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Stockholm School of Economics, and BYU.

Oct 1: Tarah Ikahihifo

Product Researcher - Correlation Research Division at The Church of Jesus Christ
PhD Educational/Instructional Technology BYU
MA Econ, UCSB

Tarah Ikahihifo is an evaluation researcher in the Correlation Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She focuses on piloting and evaluating products and programs that support the work of various Church departments. Tarah is especially passionate about using research to improve outcomes and strengthen the impact of programs worldwide.

Oct 1: Brad Eldredge

Associate Director - Correlation Research Division at The Church of Jesus Christ
BBA Econ, University of Memphis
PhD Geography, Buffalo
BS Econ, BYU ('98)

Brad Eldredge is a researcher in the Correlation Research Division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he leads a team supporting Church Departments and Area Presidencies. He has served as Chief Economist for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry and directed institutional research at the Montana University System, Flathead Valley Community College, and BYU–Pathway Worldwide. Brad is known for his expertise in labor markets, higher education, and applied economic research.

Oct 8: Rebecca Winkel

Director of Climate & Sustainability Policy at API
MPP Health Policy, BYU
BS Econ, BYU (’11)

Rebecca Winkel is the Director for Climate & Sustainability Policy at the American Petroleum Institute (API), where she leads industry strategy on sustainability disclosures, carbon management, and greenhouse gas reporting. She is a former Senior Economic Advisor and Atlantic Council Women Leaders in Energy Fellow who has presented globally on energy and climate and contributed to outlets such as NPR and The Wall Street Journal. Rebecca is recognized for shaping industry approaches to complex climate and energy challenges.

Oct 22: Scott Murff

Strategy Program Director, BYU
MS Management Science & Engineering, Stanford
BA Econ, BYU (’08)

Scott Murff is an Associate Teaching Professor of Strategy at the BYU Marriott School of Business, where he also serves as program director and teaches courses on business strategy, decision-making, and artificial intelligence. He brings more than 15 years of experience at the intersection of business and technology, including leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, Zions Bancorporation, and the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Scott is passionate about helping students apply AI, analytics, and strategy to solve real-world problems.

Nov 5: Natalie Roney

Research Economist at the Kem C. Gardner Institute
MPP, Utah
BS Econ, BYU (’20)

Natalie Roney is a research economist at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, where she studies economic trends and public finance issues that shape Utah’s economy. She previously conducted research for local lawmakers and at the Sutherland Institute, and even gained international experience working in Belgium. Natalie is recognized for turning data into insights that support informed decision-making for both policymakers and the public.

Nov 12: Amanda Boren

Obsidian Investments
MBA, Harvard
BA Econ, BYU (’06)

Amanda Boren is a finance and strategy leader who spent a decade at Rio Tinto in roles spanning business development, M&A, IT, and operations across Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Americas. Her experience includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Head of Pilbara Mines, Regional CIO for the Americas and EMEA, and CFO of Kennecott Utah Copper. Today, Amanda runs a private family office, drawing on her global leadership experience to guide long-term investments and strategy.

Nov 19: Philip Erickson

Data Scientist at Haus
PhD Econ, Iowa
BA Econ, BYU (’10)

Phil Erickson is a tech economist specializing in building software that helps companies scale causality-based decision making. He began his career at Amazon measuring customer demand and marketing effectiveness and now serves as Principal Economist at Haus, where he leads science R&D for next-generation marketing optimization tools. Phil has also taught economics as an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Washington.

Dec 3: Tyler Hogge

Partner at Pelion Ventures
MBA, Cornell
BS Finance, SUU

Tyler Hogge is a Venture Partner at Pelion, where he helps lead investments in high-growth startups. He previously served as SVP of Product at Divvy, guiding its product and risk teams through a $2.5 billion acquisition by BILL, and has also held leadership roles at Wealthfront, Andreessen Horowitz, and Clearwater. Tyler brings deep experience in product, finance, and investing, with a track record of building and scaling innovative companies.

Class Location for Fall 2025: JKB 1104

The Career Preparation Seminar (Econ 210) is a one-credit class meant to assist economics majors with preparation for their careers. It includes discussions about résumés, course planning, networking, graduate school, and learning about various careers that several of our alumni have pursued.

In this course, BYU economics alumni share their experiences with their current and previous jobs and their advice for current students. This is a great opportunity for students to hear from alumni who have experience working and can provide valuable advice about the steps needed to a great career. These alumni represent a wide variety of career paths such as management consulting, economic consulting, law, tech, finance, supply chain, government, strategy, cyber security, investment banking, data science, economic development, public policy, venture capital, non-profit management, and others.

The class is offered once a week during fall and winter semesters. Please check the Course Schedule for when this class will be offered next.

*Photo Courtesy BYU Photo

CAREER PREPARATION SEMINAR