Faculty Profile: Sophie Osotimehin

Sophie Osotimehin is entering her third academic year as an assistant professor of economics. Since completing her Ph.D. at the Paris School of Economics, Osotimehin has focused her research on macroeconomics and business cycles. In 2012, her thesis (“Aggregate fluctuations and market frictions: the role of firm and job flows”) was awarded the Banque de France Foundation’s prize for best Ph.D. thesis in the field of monetary, financial and banking economic research, as well as the Aguirre-Basualdo Ph.D. thesis prize presented by Chancellerie des Universités de Paris. ]

Hometown
I was born in Nigeria and moved to France when I was six. I lived there until I moved to Charlottesville.
 
Hobbies
Cooking, eating ... anything food-related.
 
How will you spend this summer?
I will mostly be in Charlottesville. I find the summer to be the ideal time to develop new research ideas.
 
Tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to hear.
Growing up, I never had a dog or a cat. I had an 8-inch long pet snail that we fed salad and played with.
 
Who is your greatest hero, and why?
I have great admiration for the work of Amartya Sen. His work, at the intersection of philosophy and economics, is highly conceptual but has very concrete applications. He made fundamental contributions to social choice theory, studying questions such as “How should a society choose between different options while taking into account the diversity of its individuals’ interests?” His work influenced the development of indicators measuring social welfare that go beyond commonly used income-based measures. 
 
Tell us about your most embarrassing moment.
I never really enjoyed watching sports on TV. While in London for an internship 10 years ago, some new friends and I (well, mostly them) were discussing the Olympic Games that were going on that summer in Athens. Trying to blend in, I asked them whether they thought that this “Paul Volt” they were talking about had a chance at a medal. They were talking about the pole vault.
 
What is the best place you've ever lived or visited, and why?
I loved my visits to Shanghai and Beijing. The incredible pace at which those cities are growing is sometimes overwhelming, but I found the mix of technology and traditions fascinating. Great food too!
 
Thinking about the role of technology in education, what will the U.Va. learning experience be like in 2030?
I think technology will be used to increase the interactions between professors and students, both inside and outside the classroom. Technology will enhance the students’ learning experience by allowing them to be more active and engaged.
 
What have you most enjoyed most about Charlottesville and U.Va. so far?
I really enjoy the beautiful landscapes and the lush vegetation.
 
If money were no object, what else would you like to pursue?
I would probably be a food explorer/writer. I would travel around the world to document the variety of culinary traditions. I think it is a great way to discover different cultures. You learn a lot about people by just sharing a meal and trading recipes.
 
What advice would you give to incoming first-year students?
Take the time to cultivate diverse interests, in your class choices, in your readings, and in your activities off Grounds.