Seton Hall Magazine, Summer 2001 - TLTC Blogs - Seton Hall ...

Faculty member Kristen Kucsma ’91, M.A., was excited
to be honored with the 2001 President’s Award for Student
Service. Monsignor Robert Sheeran ’67, University
president, presented the award at the annual Employee
Picnic in May.
“The first time I visited the
University, I instantly felt
comfortable. It was Seton
Hall’s size and atmosphere
that attracted me.”
12 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Economist Tracks her Career to The Hall
Most alumni return
to their alma mater
to celebrate class
reunions, attend events or
enjoy athletic contests.
In Spring 1998, the return
of Kristin Kucsma ’91, M.A.,
to Seton Hall University was
something special — she
came back to teach. Now,
as a faculty associate of
economics in the Stillman
School of Business, Kucsma
stands at the front of the
classroom where she once sat
as an undergraduate.
“It’s been such a phenomenal
experience coming back
to The Hall,” says Kucsma,
a native of Madison, New
Jersey. “I love Seton Hall. The
economics faculty were like
a family to me when I was a
student; it felt as if I was
coming home. Another great
quality is the campus environment;
it is extremely friendly
and supportive.”
Initially Kucsma had
enrolled as a freshman at
an out-of-state engineering
school, thinking she would
become a chemist. “I quickly
learned that a career in the lab
was not for me and returned
to New Jersey, where I worked
for a brokerage firm for about
a year and a half,” she says.
“It was exciting to learn
stocks, bonds and options.
But, after the first six months
on the job, I thought to
myself, ‘What am I doing?’
It was then that I realized
I should be teaching. So
I turned to Seton Hall.
“The first time I visited
the University, I instantly felt
comfortable,” she explains.
“It was Seton Hall’s size and
atmosphere that attracted
me. The campus was small
— much homier and cozier
than other schools.”
In explaining why she
chose her major, Kucsma says
“Despite what many people
think, economics is not only
about numbers and graphs and
money and the stock market.
It really is a social science that
studies the allocation of scarce
resources — in other words, a
study of how and why people
do what they do. I have always
been keenly interested in
motives and incentives, and
feel that a considerable
amount of social ‘ills’ and
other problems are the result
of misunderstood motives and,
more importantly, improper
incentives.”
While a graduate student
at Rutgers University in New
Brunswick, Kucsma found
herself conducting elaborate
research in experimental
microeconomics, the study
of how and why people make
certain choices. Today, she
continues to focus on monetary
and economic history,
which allows her to satisfy
her analytical craving while
using her writing skills. “I
have always enjoyed writing,”
Kucsma says, “and economic
history seemed like a great
way for me to blend my
seemingly opposite interests.
I also have a keen interest in
the development of money
systems because I believe that
a well-functioning money system
is essential for economic
development and growth.”
Continuing her quest for
education, Kucsma is pursuing
a doctoral degree in economics
at Rutgers; she’s convinced
that teaching is her calling.
“My grandfather was a physics
professor, and I’ve wanted to
be a teacher ever since I was a
little girl,” she recalls. “I know
many people who haven’t