The MSU Department of Economics chose William Carvalho as the 2026 Outstanding Senior. The award recognizes a senior with the most exemplary academic achievements.
William, from Hudson, Ohio, is majoring in economics and mathematics with a minor in quantitative data analytics. After he graduates, William will continue into the MSU Economics Ph.D. program.
William chose economics because he enjoyed learning about it in high school.
“But more than that, I thought it was a very broad topic where I was sure to find something that excited me, and I believe it is a good way of understanding how societies work by examining exact and specific questions and models,” William said.
His favorite courses have been Game Theory (EC 401) and Behavioral Economics (EC404).
“In a behavioral economics class full of strong students, William's mathematical talent stood out,” said Professor Ben Bushong. “He is one of the rare students who have pushed me to be a better teacher. He challenged me when I said something that wasn't quite precise, and he was confident enough to stand his ground and help me better understand my own mistake. Michigan State is lucky to have him stick around for his graduate studies and I look forward to seeing what’s next.”
During his time at MSU, William was a part of the math club, and he worked on research in financial mathematics and in solving a resource allocation problem using reinforcement learning.
“I also very much enjoyed learning probability theory, and most of that came through self-studying or summer research programs,” he said.
When asked about the highlights of the program, for William, it’s the people.
“I am grateful to the advice and support I got from many people I met here -- including other students, faculty and counselors. I have also enjoyed the connections and friendships I’ve made here with other students."
Connecting with people is William’s main advice to undergraduates in economics.
“I think it’s vital to look for support and advice from many different people when it might help - could be coursework related, or just advice about what to do after college, or how to deal with stress, or write a better resume,” he said. “There are many people here who are able to and would be happy to help if asked. One specific thing I also wish I did more was look for things to do outside of coursework, such as looking more for clubs in things I'm interested in, or asking students I met in classes to have lunch or study together or hang out more often.”
Please join us in congratulating William on his award!
To learn more about majoring in economics, visit econ.msu.edu.