Department of Economics: Alum News

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Class of 1963

Jim Dunlap is continuing his U.S. Agency for International Development assignment in Peru. As for economics, the USAID Peru Mission is fully involved in trying to convince particpants in the coca economy that the short term benefits of a few dollars in the hand in a realm controlled by REALLY bad people is short-sighted. Narcotraffickers have every incentive to keep communities cut off from the outside world and dependent on them. The areas that have grown coca the longest are the poorest and least developed after all these years. Hey, do the math! The social and economic costs - disincentives to real investment, government services, and commerce being at the top of the list, closely followed by violence and insecurity of daily life - are being "packaged" into powerful public relations and development related messages. Will it work any better than programs have in the past? Stay tuned. On the surfing front, no one ever got back to him about one of the Oxy Surf Club t-shirts, but he has moved into the realm of surfing 3 to 4 meter waves - not bad for an old guy, even if the report does come from him. Hmmm, would an economist ever lie?? (2003)

After changing majors from economics to political science at the recommendation of Dr. deRycke (if he wanted to graduate on time), Dave Roberson entered the life insurance business. Today, he and his son Jim (USC '93), are the principals of the oldest and most established firm of its type in Orange County (Roberson Consulting, LLC & The Roberson Company, LLC). Executive benefits and insurance consulting & brokerage is their primary business. Their firm recently funded and built an internet business, agentLife.com, a B2B site for life insurance professionals scheduled to go live mid-July. One of their current consulting assigments is guiding a national accounting firm into the executive benefits and life insurance business. With the passage of Financial Services Deregulation last year many financial services organizations are expanding into services outside their traditional core competency. The internet disintermediates knowledge and with deregulation, the times offer new challenges, opportunity and intense competition. Would enjoy discussion with others on financial services issues. (2000)

David Young is, as his dean calls it, "planning his end game." He is moving to half-time in the Boston University School of Management, where he will continue to teach the introductory accounting and capstone strategy courses in the MBA program, and the managerial accounting course in the Executive MBA Program. He will be spending January-April 2004 at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa in Barcelona, where he will teach a course on management control systems. He had four books published in 2003, the most popular of which is <A Manager's Guide to Creative Cost Cutting: 181 Ways to Build the Bottom Line.> His most recent research has been on the topic of accounting for intangibles, in which he is attempting to merge his dual interests of accounting and organizational strategy. (2003, DWY204@cs.com)