Graduate Student Research Spotlight | Heather Hoyt

Heather Hoyt, a philosophy graduate student, attended a Philosophy, Politics & Economics Society conference in London recently. At this conference, Hoyt had the opportunity to meet and engage with professionals from different countries and connect with them. “I study philosophy of economics, which has a stronger presence in Europe than in the United States. I wanted particularly to go and network with people who were working in the same areas that I was,” Hoyt said.

Hoyt’s research is focused on preferences and welfare economics, and by attending this conference she was able to receive feedback from professors who shared ideas regarding this area of study. Hoyt presented on her dissertation topic, “Beyond Self Interest: Altruistic Preferences and Welfare Economics,” and found great value in the feedback she received. “As I was presenting in London, I was looking at a room of other scholars who were nodding, writing notes and then asked engaging and thoughtful questions,” she said.

Through her graduate program classes and conversations with fellow students, Hoyt felt prepared for the conference and presentation, she said, “Seeing their work and research, and then sharing mine, gave me a lot of confidence going into this conference.”

Not only was Hoyt able to receive feedback on current research but also advice from professionals in a similar line of work. Feeling hesitant about her career direction, Hoyt found comfort and advice through networking at the conference, “I talked to a professor about my career direction and he was able to give me some validation about some of the things I was feeling and thinking,” she said, “I particularly was talking about working towards getting papers published and he shared with me some of his own experiences that were very helpful to me.”

Hoyt said this London trip was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” and she would love to attend this conference again. Her advice to students on similar paths as her is to just go for it. “I saw some students who gave presentations who were very nervous about it, but then they would present the most fascinating ideas. It is amazing to be part of a conversation with other scholars.”

Hoyt’s biggest takeaway from this experience was that ideas are worth sharing despite being incomplete or not perfectly polished. She learned the importance and value of sharing ideas to a group, “It is so much fun to develop ideas with others, instead of just doing it in your own head,” Hoyt said.