PhD in Economics

Nicholas Wilson, 2025

Nicholas, a U.S. Navy veteran, returned to school to earn his PhD in economics and begin a new chapter in his life. 

What was your specific area of study and how did you choose it?

Studied economics in the footsteps of the great Walter E. Williams. 

If you completed a dissertation, thesis, or capstone, please tell us about it. 

The Pursuit of Higher Things: Booker T. Washington Contrasted with W.E.B. Du Bois. A Study in Classical Liberalism. 

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you? 

I have learned so much not only as a student but in teaching undergraduates to love economics as Walter E. Williams, my advisor Daniel Klein, and all the great professors at George Mason did for me. 

Why did you choose George Mason for your graduate studies? 

I desired to follow in the footsteps of the great Walter E. Williams. 

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students? 

Don't give up, especially when life challenges you.