Social Calendar

Events are listed in chronological order as they occur throughout the academic year.

APEC Welcome Picnic/Cookout

The welcome picnic is an annual event hosted by the grad club that brings together the department at the start of the year – typically in September. This is a good way for people to catch up after the summer and for new students to meet faculty and students in the department.

APEC @ the Minnesota State Fair

Usually the graduate students coordinate to attend the Minnesota State Fair on a weekend with the incoming PhD students each year. This is typically the weekends before the start of the semester in August prior to the start of the Fall semester. This is loosely coordinated by the graduate students and the instructors for the math/coding review camps.

Economics Noble Prize Prediction Competition

Each year the Nobel Prize in economics is announced in the Fall semester. As a department, we run a common poll to predict which economist will recieve the award, and hold a small celebration for anyone who correctly guesses the new Nobel Laureate. It is also a neat way to learn about amazing economists that are outside of your field. In the past, we have used the following google sheet to poll predictions.

Outstanding Alumni & Annual Awards Party

Each year the department likes to honor past alumni. Additionally, they present awards to graduate students for achievements in research and teaching. This usually accompanies a cocktail hour that graduate students can socialize with faculty and alumni.

Winter Holiday Party

Each year at the end of the semester we like to host a joint end of the year party between the APEC and AECM departments. There is usually an ugly sweater contest, and there is a white elephant for the administrative staff.

International Dinner

At the end of the spring semester, the graduate club will host an international dinner. Given our multicultural department, the concept is for each person to bring a dish from their home country. Then we feast as a potluck dinner and celebrate the end of the academic year.

CFANS Kickball

The CFANS graduate body has recently started to host an end of the year kickball tournament across the CFANS departments. In the past, the APEC department has had a good showing and have even won the kickball tournament. Traditionally, we have called ourselves “The Invisible Hands”.