In the hopes of narrowing his primary economic interests, Case Tatro ’18, cast a wide net during his search for a summer internship. His desire to pin down a more specific direction in the economics field led Tatro to the National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, D.C., where he is engaged in macroeconomic policy and international political economy analysis.
Tatro is part of the research team at NDU that investigates the economic aspects of designated research projects. “As the only economics major on the team, this work allows me not only to further my research skills, but also to make a large positive contribution,” said Tatro.
After a project is assigned, Tatro, and the other two interns divide the research into sections, and work on their respective areas. The team is currently working on a project that involves how to deter Russia from invading the Baltic States. “For this research project, we take a holistic approach to deterrence, expanding beyond military actions. Therefore, the economic role of this project, which overlaps with the social and infrastructural spheres, is more emphasized,” said Tatro
To finish their research, the team focuses on qualitative research by reading books and articles on the subject, often using hard data to support their analyses and arguments. After completing a thorough inquiry into the topic, Tatro and his fellow interns each write their portions of the final paper, and then collaborate to merge their individual sections.
Concentration: Economics
Hometown: Titusville, Fla.
High School: Titusville High School
In addition to long-term projects, as well as any short-term projects the team is frequently assigned, Tatro is responsible for writing an independent article on any topic of his choosing. Currently, his preliminary research topics include renewable energy in the Baltics to increase energy independence from Russia and explaining the low rate of participation in job training programs in Latvia. Once complete, the article will be sent for consideration to be published.
After Hamilton, Tatro plans to attend graduate school for economics, a choice his experience at NDU has helped affirm.
