Economics Senior Achieves Great Career Outcome

By Lindsay Anderson

Economics and political science double major Russell Howland III ’15 finished off his Bradley University experience with a challenging and rewarding job offer at Caterpillar.

Howland’s job offer shows how Foster College of Business students continue to enjoy a 94 percent career outcome rate over the past five years.

“I’m very happy Russell got an excellent job where he will definitely use the valuable skills he learned in his economics courses,” economics department chair Dr. Kevin O’Brien said.

Howland attributed student-faculty interaction as a critical component to his learning experience while at the Foster College of Business. He credited O’Brien, who was his senior thesis advisor, and political science professor Dr. Craig Curtis for guiding him through the college years.

“I often found myself in Dr. O’Brien’s office discussing everything from economics to Czech culture and cuisine,” Howland said. “Much of my success inside and outside of academics is thanks to both of their insightful and frank advice.”

Howland also made the most of several experiential learning opportunities, which included internships at Zurich North America, RLI Insurance and Northwestern Mutual. In those roles, Howland gained detailed knowledge on claims, completed case law summaries, created customized solutions for clients and developed a statistical model to predict claim expenses and turn-around time.

Additionally, while on campus, Howland was the Vice-President of Internal Affairs for the Student Senate, captain of the Bradley University’s mock trial team and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity leadership team.

Economics also played a part in Howland’s study abroad experience in Prague, where he received a certificate in Central and Eastern European Studies at Prague University of Economics.

“I had the opportunity to spend two days a week learning from some of the brightest scholars in Europe while spending the other five immersed in the incredible culture of the Czech Republic,” Howland said.

As he graduates and begins his career as an analyst for Caterpillar here in Peoria, Illinois, the Economics Department will still hold many great memories for Howland.

“My favorite memory of studying economics at the Foster College of Business was earlier this year when all the economics faculty members took the graduating seniors out to dinner after we presented our senior theses,” Howland recalled. “The professors are all exceptionally intelligent and funny individuals, and I look forward to keeping in touch with many of them after graduation.”