Ben Lukenchuk

Ben currently serves as an Economist with Environment and Climate Change Canada and works to support regulations under the Species at Risk Act. In his role at Climate Change Canada, he enjoys the flexibility of the work and the positive impact he has. In addition to his work as an economist, Ben also works as a Sessional Lecturer for the University of Victoria.

Ben found his way into economics through the B.Comm program at the University of Victoria. After his first tastes of economics with introductory microeconomics, he had caught the econ bug! After filling his schedule with as many economics courses as possible, he decided to make the switch and pursue his BA Honours.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Ben was unsure whether he wanted to pursue graduate studies. After a successful SSHRC application and acceptance to graduate school, his decision was made! Ben is grateful to have completed his BA Honours through the UVic program, as he feels he was comparatively very well prepared for grad school.  He was the only person in his MA cohort that had previously been exposed to econometrics with matrices, difference equations, and the overlapping generations model thanks to Econ 365 & 366, Econ 351, and Econ 406 respectively. The intensive writing experience through honours has also served him well on the job market.

Ben has also completed his Bachelor of Education in Secondary Math and History at the University of Ottawa. He is excited to apply his knowledge of and passion for teaching in his work as a Sessional at the University of Victoria.

Ben fills his spare time with travel, endurance sports, and volunteering his time in a choir and as a debate coach. Ben completed his first Ironman on July 24^th, 2022!

When reflecting on his own experiences throughout his post secondary education, Ben’s advice to current students is:

“Take as many math courses as you can stomach (I mean proof heavy math not calculus). Take as many technical courses as you can. Be very comfortable with coding. Job applications happen during busy times in the academic year. Prioritize your application anyway.”