Economics alumnus helps recruit graduate students
What do Carolina basketball and economics research have in common?
Joe Kampf (B.A. ’66) answered that question in 2009 when he established the Joseph M. and Jason S. Kampf Graduate Fund in Economics. An experienced business executive and avid Tar Heels fan, he knew that graduate programs, like basketball teams, need excellent recruits in order to succeed.
“The conceptual and mathematical abilities needed for Ph.D. works in economics are a scarce set of skills, and thus recruiting qualified students is highly competitive,” said Helen Tauchen, professor and chair of graduate studies in the UNC-Chapel Hill department of economics. “The Kampf Graduate Fund has been extremely valuable in enabling the department to continue our long record of enrolling and graduating very talented students.”
Kampf, who has enjoyed a successful career in international business since graduating from Carolina in 1966, currently serves as co-founder, chairman and CEO of CoVant Management Inc. in McLean, Va. Through years of experience, Kampf has learned firsthand the importance of economics research. He said graduate students fill an important niche, devoting valuable time to researching and developing the field. Most importantly, graduate work makes the complexities of international economics accessible to the general public.
“Global economies are much more complex than most of the world’s population knows,” Kampf said. “The ways in which marketplaces work, various countries interact and developed economies interact with underdeveloped economies are so complex you couldn’t explain them to the average person. That’s a big problem.”
Since 2009, the Kampf Fund has helped Carolina economics both enroll exceptional graduate students and help those students pass along their knowledge. One Kampf Fund recipient, Matt Harris, has already begun to pay forward his opportunities. After receiving his Ph.D. in economics from Carolina in 2013, he joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee.
“Because I was fortunate enough to receive Kampf funding, I did not have to teach and was able to immerse myself in [my research] and complete it in time,” Harris said. “Mr. Kampf has my eternal gratitude. I would not be in a job I love today without his assistance.”
Kampf recipients have used their support in a variety of ways, including travel to conferences, focused time for intensive research and preparation for the job market. For Danny Soques, Kampf funding made his entire Carolina experience possible.
“If I did not receive support from the Kampf Fund in my first year, I doubt I would have had the financial ability to attend UNC,” Danny said. “Kampf funding allows me to focus primarily on my research rather than searching for other resources to continue my passion for studying economics.”
After seeing the impact of his gifts, Kampf recently decided to double the Graduate Fund’s size. The Fund supports twice as many graduate students today as it did in 2009. Kampf also plans to increase his future giving, ultimately hoping to recruit Carolina’s own undergraduates to the graduate program. His support will be a vital part of the department’s growth and development in the years to come.
“I’ve learned quite a bit from the things the graduate students are doing,” Kampf said. “It’s helped convince me that I need to continue to fund this type of work.”
