David S. Abrams - Professor of Law, Business Economics and Public Policy at University of Pennsylvania Law School and Wharton
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EDUCATION:
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I really enjoyed taking courses on all sorts of subjects, not just in my major (physics). Some of my favorite classes included Introduction to Indo-European languages, Archaeometry (scientific archeology) and a class on Freud and C. S. Lewis. Each semester I always spent the night before the first day of classes trying to winnow down my list of 20-30 prospective courses to something a bit more manageable. I started out as a physics major at Harvard, then worked briefly for a quantitative hedge fund before starting a PhD in physics at Stanford. While researching dark matter, I learned about behavioral and experimental economics, which lead me to a leave of absence and ultimately to a PhD in economics at MIT. While there, my interests grew again as I discovered law and economics. I am happy to say, that is what I still do now, as a Law Professor at Penn and Wharton. The SPE scholarship allowed me to take on more interesting (and lower-paying) jobs in college that helped me develop my interest and knowledge of physics. By working in physics labs and as a math teaching assistant I learned that I really liked the academic environment and would like that kind of career. My advice to current students is to learn programming and statistics. If you have those skills, you will always find a job. Beyond that, take the time in college to pursue whatever interests you, no matter how outlandish. It may be the only time in your life that you have the time and access to learn about ancient Etruscan poetry. Contact me at dabrams@law.upenn.edu.