Economics Ph.D. candidate David Van Dijcke was recently selected to receive a Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship. This prestigious honor is awarded to doctoral students who, after being nominated by their department, demonstrate impressive early research results and excellence in teaching/mentoring. It covers tuition, fees, and a stipend for three academic terms.
David called the Fellowship an “encouraging recognition of [his] research so far” and a great opportunity to complete and polish his dissertation before he graduates in 2026. Although he enjoys teaching, he is grateful that the Fellowship will provide him a large, uninterrupted block of time to focus entirely on research and writing.
Most of David’s research focuses on Big Data and econometric tools as new ways to understand industrial organization and political economy. He has been cited in publications such as The Washington Post and TIME Magazine for his work on the impact of return-to-office mandates on tech companies.
Outside his work as a Ph.D. student, David serves as a consultant for Ipsos Public Affairs (who help to support his research) and as an academic visitor at the Bank of England. Before coming to Michigan, where he also completed an MA in Economics, he was a research student at the University of Oxford. He also received a degree in Theatre from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent and degrees in Philosophy, Economics, and Economic Policy from KU Leuven.
