Peer Advisors

Peer advisors are junior & senior Econ majors who volunteer their time to complement the undergraduate advising services by sharing their knowledge of and experience with lower division requirements and upper division classes, experience with student groups on campus, preparation for life beyond the B.A., and use of various campus resources.

Peer advisors can be reached at

Eileen L. Tipoe

Post graduate plans*: Graduate school
Activities*: Itch to Stitch (An arts and crafts club at Cal)
Spring 2012 classes*: Econ 140, Econ C142, Econ C181, Econ 155, Psych 102, UGBA 107
Other major classes*: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 119, Econ 136

Hi, I'm Eileen, a sophomore starting my second semester as an Econ peer advisor. I fulfilled all the major requirements in a short time period and applied to the Econ major as a freshman. Last summer I worked as a research assistant overseas, and I'm hoping to specialize in behavioral economics after my undergraduate degree. I'd love to share my academic experiences with you, or help with schedule planning and other concerns you might have. I'm also President of Itch to Stitch, the newest crafts club at Cal, so feel free to approach me with crafts-related questions - but preferably not during my advising hours!

Meng Sun

Post graduate plans: Graduate school in Economics
Activities: Chinese Business Club of Berkeley, HYSTA (Hua Yuan Technology and Science Association), Ascend
Spring 2012 classes: Econ 151, Econ 136, History of Art 62
Other major classes: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 140, Econ 113, Econ 119, Econ 155, Econ 157, Econ 162

Hello, my name is Meng and I'm a fourth year Econ major and Stat minor. It's not easy to decide on a major- starting from computer science, then contemplated about applied math and finally decided on Economics and Statistics. That's why we are here to make sure that you don't take any unnecessary detours. Ask us about anything, whether it's about what class to take, how to study for an upcoming test, or what to do after graduation? Peer advisors are an excellent resource; we'll share our personal thoughts and experiences on classes. So don't hesitate to stop by Evans to chat. I'm looking forward to meeting you all. Go Bears!

Muyen Maxine Liu

Double major: Anthropology
Post graduate plans: Work
Activities: Internship, activities at Hoyt, Reading, Running.
Spring 2012 classes: Econ C142, Econ 134, Military Affairs 1, PE 2, French 3

I am a third year in Berkeley and enjoy classes in both the Economics and Anthropology majors. I have personal experience with trying to figure out my majors and would like to do my best to help you decide. If you are already an econ major, I have taken a diverse range of econ classes to hopefully answer your questions. I enjoy reading non-fiction, investment related books very much, so if you happen to have any interests in this area, please feel free to drop by.

Stephanie Ma

Double major: Philosophy
Post graduate plans: Go to law school
Activities: Intern at the Susan G. Komen Foundation, EAP Student Ambassador
Spring 2012 Classes: Philos 178, Philos 104
Other major classes: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 140, Econ C151, Econ C181, Econ 116, Econ 162

Hi, I'm Stephanie and I'm a senior double majoring in Economics and Philosophy. I studied abroad in the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and I currently work part-time at a NGO in San Francisco. I plan to go to law school next year and eventually work in the development field. Feel free to to drop-by if you want to hear my two-cents on double-majoring, getting classes from two departments approved for study-abroad or the employment opportunities after graduation. Also if you're curious to see how philosophy and economics overlap, I'd be happy to discuss that as well!

Shelly Huang

Post graduate plans: Work
Activities: California Actuarial League
Spring 2012 classes: Econ 141, Econ 155, Econ 162, Philos 12A
Other major classes: Econ 100AB, Econ 121, Econ 157, Econ 175, UGBA 103, Stat 134

Hi there! My name is Shelly. I am really excited to be on the peer advisor team and to meet all of you! As a third year economic major, I find a great amount of flexibility and possibilities in terms of schedule planning. That means we often need to make choices, such as taking interesting classes, whether in or outside the economic department, while fulfilling the major requirements. Other choices might go as far as whether to double major and to prepare for career with supplemental courses. Feel free to come by if you feel indecisive or need more information. I would be more than happy to answer any question and share my experience. Look forward to meeting you soon!

Jessica Fuh

Double major: Film Studies
Post graduate plans: Year off & apply to film school
Activities: University Wind Ensemble (percussion), CalTV Cinematography
Spring 2012 classes: Film C185, Film 108, Film 198, Music 142, PE Tennis!
Other major classes: Econ 136, Econ C181, PP C103, Econ 162, Econ 157, Econ 140, Econ 100A, Econ 100B.

Hey Cal students! My name is Jessica and I am a fourth year double majoring in Econ and Film. Here at Berkeley the Econ department (indeed, the university as a whole) is very large and can seem quite daunting to navigate. But never fear! The first step you can take to help yourself out is to talk to other students about their experiences as Econ majors--and THAT is precisely what Econ peer advisors are here for. On a personal note, my economic interests lie mostly in the social aspects of the discipline, and as you can tell from my profile, I also have a whole separate realm of academic interests, which lie in the world of Film Studies. So please feel free to come talk to me about Economics--or not Economics! I'd be happy to listen and help you out.

Tania Darzi

Post graduate plans: Graduate school
Activities: Lebanese Student Association, Maronite Young Adult Chair
Spring 2012 classes: Econ 134, Ugba 196, Gsw 104
Other major classes: Econ 100B, Econ C175, Ugba 180, Econ 100A, Hist 125B, Econ C110, Econ 140, Econ 136

I am a fourth year Economics major, and I have enjoyed taking many economics classes at Cal. I am looking forward to guiding both prospective and current econ majors with my personal experience. I want to help others succeed in this major, and truly enjoy the overall Berkeley experience at the same time. I am an open book, you just have to come ask!

Lindsey Hearn

Minor: History of art
Post graduate plans: Graduate program in Public Policy or Economics
Activities: Omicron Delta Epsilon Activities Chair
Spring 2012 classes: Econ H195B, French 35, French 13, Italian 1, Public Policy 190
Other major classes: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 172, Econ C171, Pub Pol C103, Econ 115, Econ 136, Econ 196

Hello! My name is Lindsey and I am a fourth year Economics major. As someone prone to indecision, I am not unfamiliar with the apprehension that often accompanies choosing a major. Throughout my four years at Cal, I have tried to take a broad range of classes, spanning many different departments. I have also tried to pursue diverse internship positions in order to further explore different fields. I would be more than happy to share my experiences and discuss various extracurricular activities, internship opportunities, or post-undergraduate plans. The peer advisors are an invaluable resource-do not hesitate to drop by during advising hours!

Kirsten Chong

Post graduate plans: Working in the accounting industry
Activities: Used to be in HKSA - Hong Kong Student Association, Interned at Omnicom group-Bernard Hodes Group
Fall 2012 Classes: Econ 162, Econ 155, UGBA 126, UGBA 127, Music 140
Other major classes: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 121, Econ 136, Econ 140,Econ 157 , Econ 181

Hi everyone! My name is Kirsten. I am a forth year Economics major who is graduating this semester. I've studied abroad in England in my junior year, so if you guys have any questions regarding England or studying abroad in general, feel free to come chat with me! I will be more than happy to share my life changing experience =) Also, I am pursuing a career in auditing and planning on taking CPA exams after graduation. If you need help on planning your schedule to fulfill CPA requirements, I am here for you. Look forward to seeing all of you at Evans. Go Bears!

Riley Yang

Double Major: Applied Mathematics
Post graduate plans: Work in consulting for 2 years, then apply to law school.
Activities: URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program), member of Zeta Psi, ASUC note-taker.
Spring 2012 Classes: Math 110, Math 113, Econ 141
Other Major Classes: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 119, Econ 136, Stat 134

Hi everyone, my name is Riley Yang. I am originally from Tustin, California. I am a third-year Economics and Applied Mathematics double-major. I hope I can assist you in deciding if Economics is the major for you. My hobbies include pick-up basketball, fishing, board games, and watching tv. After college, I want to work for a couple years and prepare for law school. I eventually hope to acquire a PhD in Economics and become a gray-haired professor. Please do not hesitate to see a peer adviser, even if you just want to chat.

Sergio Venegas Marin

Post graduate plans: Work in Development research/Grad school
Activities: Advisor for the Blum Center, research and enjoying my leisure :)
Spring 2012 classes: Econ 136, Econ 172, Legalst 158
Other Major Classes: Econ 100A, Econ 100B, Econ 140, Econ 171, Econ 174, Econ 196, PP 103

Hi there! My name is Sergio and I am a fourth year economics major with a minor in global poverty and practice. I am a transfer student with an international background, so I know many of the issues that you might be experiencing as an economics or intended economics major. My field of interest within the economics department is developmental economics. I just love to talk about randomized control trials and new developments in the field. I have been in North Africa and Kenya (and Tanzania for a short time) working with different NGOs. Whether you are a student thinking about taking the major, a current student with an issue, a transfer student who needs to plan their two years at UCB, I have been there so don't hesitate to drop by the office and talk to me or any other of the peer advisors. And if you are considering developmental economics as your field, definitely come and talk to me!!! Hope to see you guys this semester