Denison Magazine
When the upheaval brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic came about, there was one issue that the Global Commerce department didn’t have to worry about, and that was who would teach the GC 301: Global Financial Markets course in the fall. The reason: GC had already hired its top pick, Ph.D. candidate, Son Dinh!
Son comes to us from the University of Minnesota where he has just completed his doctorate in Economics. His path to becoming an economist began when he was growing up in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the 1990s, following the economic reform of 1986. As Son explains, “This was the transition period of war-torn economically devastated Vietnam from a command-and-control economy to a socialist-oriented market economy.” His father, a war veteran who had become a civil engineer, and his mother, a librarian, “imparted in me a real sense of responsibility to contribute to society.”
Son chose a different path than his parents had followed to achieve that goal. “Vietnam in the first decade of the new millennium grew at a staggering pace thanks to the private sector and capital liberalization policies. Students with training in business and management were highly demanded in the labor market.” As a result of experiencing these economic developments, Son decided to attend Indiana University to get a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance. He hoped his degree would propel him to open a social entrepreneurial business that would generate jobs for underprivileged people.
But he adjusted his career path after he met Dr. Anh Tran, “an inspiring professor of public policy who had been working as an economic development consultant for the Vietnamese government.” Seeing Dr. Tran’s contributions in Vietnam motivated Son to learn more about economic institutions and public policy, and he soon realized that studying the field of Economics would provide the understanding he sought. So, after receiving his B.S. degree in Finance from IU, he went north to the University of Minnesota for his post-graduate education in Economics, which has included a Master’s degree received in 2018, as well as teaching courses such as Principles in Macroeconomics and Money and Banking.
When Son isn’t furthering his knowledge of Economics and his teaching skills, he enjoys running and cooking, and the occasional chance to go ballroom dancing. When asked what he is most looking forward to at Denison, he replied that not only is he is excited to get to know both students and faculty, but he would like to get involved in the development of new campus initiatives, both academic and social.
During his time as a student Son has found that it is “important to cultivate good mentor-mentee relationships with fellow students and faculty alike.” Son’s dedication to mentoring and teaching, his scholarly expertise in economics, and his personal experience will all enrich the Global Commerce program in exciting ways, bringing new perspectives, questions, and analytical tools to the ways that our students are learning to think about and act in the world.
We all look forward to working with and learning from Son and are excited to welcome him to Denison in August.
August 17, 2020
