Exploring Careers in Economics: Alumni Share Campus to Career Stories at Upcoming CCI Event
The two-part event invites students to connect with Middlebury alumni who have built careers in finance, consulting, public policy, research, and beyond. On Thursday evening, a panel of alumni will share how their Middlebury experience shaped their professional journeys, followed by an opportunity for one-on-one virtual conversations on Friday.
“We want students to see just how versatile an economics background can be,” said Ursula Olender, Executive Director of CCI. “Whether you’re interested in markets, human behavior, or systems thinking, these skills translate across so many industries.”
The Thursday evening panel will feature alumni including Grecia De la O Abarca ’17.5 International Security Manager, VDI, at Inter-American Development Bank, and Denizhan Duran ’11, Senior Economist at The World Bank, who will reflect on how they navigated the transition from Middlebury to the workplace. Friday’s virtual chats give students a chance to go deeper, asking personal career questions, or exploring potential paths after graduation.
Past Field Guide events have highlighted fields such as earth and climate sciences, global health, and the arts, offering students a space to hear candid stories from alumni and explore industries they may not have previously considered.
“I used to attend all of the Field Guides,” said Grace Carroll ‘22 “and I credit those experiences with my ability to network professionally with folks who might seem unapproachable. I learned that most people genuinely want to help students and young professionals in their career journey.””
Both events are open to all students, regardless of major or class year. The panel will take place on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 4:30–6:15 p.m., and one-on-one chats will be available 9:00 a.m. to noon on Friday, Nov. 7. Students can register via the CCI website at go/FieldGuide.
Featured Field Guide Alumni
Grecia De la O Abarca ’17.5
International Security Manager, VDI | Inter-American Development Bank
Grecia is an International Security Manager for VDI at the Inter-American Development Bank. She conducts in-country security assessments and analyzes risks stemming from socio-political instability, violent crime, and environmental threats that could impact the Bank’s projects and operations, while also safeguarding staff and travelers across Latin America. She currently advises Local Crisis Management Teams on security and risk management, ensuring that security policies are aligned with operational needs throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and Japan. Her professional expertise centers on data-driven risk analysis, intelligence research, and emergency preparedness, supporting investors and institutions in navigating the complexities of the Latin American operational environment. She brings extensive experience across the United States and Latin America through her work and volunteer engagements with international organizations, the private sector, nonprofits, and academia. Grecia has contributed to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda as both a speaker and facilitator, including sessions at the United Nations. She is a member of the DC Analyst Round Table and currently serves as Vice President of the United World Colleges DC Alumni Chapter. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Middlebury College and a Master’s in International Policy and Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS).
Denizhan Duran ’11
Senior Economist, The World Bank
Denizhan is a Senior Health Economist with the Latin America and the Caribbean Region at the World Bank. He has been leading projects, analytics, and country engagement focusing on health system and financing reform, purchasing of health services, quality of care for non-communicable diseases, governance of health systems, emergency responses to health shocks, and strengthening human capital. Prior to joining the World Bank, Denizhan worked at the World Health Organization, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Center for Global Development, focusing on aid effectiveness, health insurance, governance, and quality of care. He also conducted and published academic research, including with the Lancet Commission on High Quality Health Systems. Originally from Turkey, Denizhan holds a Doctor of Public Health degree in Health Systems from Harvard University, where his dissertation focused on the links between health financing and quality of care, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Middlebury College.
Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Friesen ’20
Graduate Student at Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
Elizabeth is from Bellingham, Washington. She majored in economics and minored political science at Middlebury. In 2021, Elizabeth moved to Haiti to coordinate a research project on social networks and small‐scale corruption in the Haitian Ministries, a collaboration between the University of Chicago and the Inter-American Development Bank. She later became a Reporting Officer within the United Nations’ Political Mission in Haiti, where she managed, analyzed, and published data on gang‐related human rights abuses. She is currently in her second and final year of a Masters in Public Affairs at Princeton’s School for Public and International Affairs. The summer after her first year at Princeton, Elizabeth interned at World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group in Washington, D.C. and worked as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank’s Institutional Capacity of the State (ICS) division. Elizabeth’s aims to continue working at the intersection of operations an analysis, focusing public administration reform, anticorruption, and strengthening the social contract in fragile and conflict-affected states.
Olivia Tabah ’15
Recent Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth MBA graduate and Former Impact Investing Associate
Olivia Tabah ’15 is recent MBA graduate of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where she served as Co-Director of the Tuck Social Venture Fund, and co-chair the Sustainable Food and Ag Club, Outdoor Club, and Mental Health & Wellness Program. Last summer, she interned as a Consultant with the Boston Consulting Group.
Before Tuck, Olivia spent four years on the investing team at Gratitude Railroad, a VC firm and community of investors using private capital to catalyze social and environmental change. Her earlier roles in business development and client management at Willow Street and LendingClub deepened her experience in financial services.
A 2015 Midd grad, Olivia gained early exposure to social enterprise and impact investing through her leadership in MiddChallenge and completion of MiddCORE. Olivia remains passionate about the potential for business solutions to drive a more equitable and sustainable world.
A resident of Burlington, VT, Olivia spends her free time running, biking and skiing the Green Mountains with her golden retriever, Maisie, and her fiancé, Alex.
What can you do with an economics major? The Center for Careers and Internships (CCI) and Economics Department hopes to answer that question through its upcoming Beyond Wall Street: Field Guide for Students Studying Economics event, taking place Thursday, Nov. 6 and Friday, Nov. 7.