Meet our team
The Economics Department at Princeton is home to more than sixty faculty members and hosts dozens of visitors, postdocs, and research fellows every year.
In addition to working alongside these researchers and organizing hundreds of seminars and events every year, our team of operational and administrative professionals support a diverse group of undergraduate and Ph.D. students as they pursue their degrees at one of the top economics departments in the world.
All of that work keeps us very busy! But if you’re new to the Economics Department, we know it can be hard to meet everyone on the team and figure out who does what. To help, here’s a quick list of our team members, with more information about who we are, what we do, and how to contact us.
Laura Hedden
Graduate Program Administrator
lhedden@princeton.edu | extension: 8-4006
Laura Hedden has been the department’s Graduate Program Administrator since 2010. Prior to joining the Department of Economics, Laura was an adjunct professor of music at Rider University and Westminster Choir College, and a lecturer in Princeton’s Department of Music. Laura holds a Bachelor of Music Performance and a Master of Arts in Musicology from Penn State University, where she played cello in several ensembles, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from Princeton. After graduation she gradually realized that the last time Musicology was profitable was Prince’s 2004 album release, and gratefully accepted a full-time position in the department. She found a new sense of purpose in helping our graduate students make the most of their experience in the Ph.D. program.
Laura hails from a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania and still can’t find her way around New Jersey. When she isn’t working, which isn’t very often, you can probably find her in one of the local refuges photographing birds. She still enjoys playing her cello and would love to talk to you about your own musical interests or hobbies.
Gina Holland
Undergraduate Program Manager
gholland@princeton.edu | extension: 8-0920
Gina Holland is the Undergraduate Program Manager for the Department of Economics. Gina holds a B.F.A in Musical Theatre from the University of Hartford and a Masters of Education in Diversity and Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Co-Mom to two girls (18 and 8!) with her wife Maxine, Gina and her family live near the beach in Monmouth County, NJ.
With a persistent love for learning, Gina is always in the middle of several books or obsessed with some new song or artist. Gina sings and writes poetry, and recently founded the Atlantic Highlands Womens' Writing Group in her hometown. Her daughter, Eliza, will be starting college this fall at Chapman University in Orange County, CA, so Gina plans to rack up quite a few frequent flyer miles over the next four years. Gina's other passions include studying the Enneagram, listening to podcasts about The Office, and sharing the love of her ultimate muse, Emily Dickinson, by teaching at Princeton Adult School and at Princeton University's Wintersession. Gina loves working with students and faculty at Princeton and is always interested in how you are and what you are thinking about!
Kristin Rogers
Administrative Coordinator
kmr2@princeton.edu | extension: 8-2496
Kristin Rogers is the Administrative Coordinator for the Department of Economics. She holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Technical Theatre from Rowan University, as well as a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources Management from William Paterson University.
Kristin oversees the administration of Junior and Senior Recruiting initiatives within the department, as well as manages the Minor in Quantitative Economics. Additionally, she plays a key role in cultivating donor relations and provides crucial support to the Chair, Associate Chair, and Department Manager.
Before joining Princeton, Kristin played pivotal roles in the performing arts, serving as Assistant Executive Director at Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, New Jersey, and later as Assistant Production Coordinator at the Metropolitan Opera in Manhattan.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Kristin leads as co-president of the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department Active Auxiliary, driving community engagement through numerous fundraisers and events. An avid reader, she has devoured over 150 romance novels this year alone, embracing both print and audiobooks. Kristin's creative talents shine in crafting, with her seasonal creations on display in JRR 200 during the holidays. She also delights in baking adventures with her 5-year-old son, Stephen.
Kristin shares a fulfilling life with her husband, Justin Rogers, with whom she will celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary this November. Together, they cherish family travels, exploring destinations, enjoying cruises, and seeking thrills on roller coasters.
Christina Lipsky
Senior Manager, Finance and Administration
lipsky@princeton.edu | extension: 8-4011
Christina Lipsky has been with Princeton University for eighteen years, starting in Electrical Engineering as a faculty assistant and progressing her career in various programs/departments such as Applied Mathematics, Architecture, and Economics. While working at the university, Christina earned her master's in Higher Education with a focus on instructional technology, because she is a massive nerd and also had a side hustle as a web developer for small businesses. Alas, those days of free time are long gone, as she is entering her fourth year as Senior Manager in Economics, where her duties include overseeing/onboarding faculty, staff, visitors, the department’s graduate/undergraduate programs, and its building.
Before joining Princeton, Christina was an Associated Press award-winning journalist with The Star-Ledger, covering crime in Camden and Morris County, and at Forbes.com as lead news editor focusing on reviewing and test-driving luxury automobiles. So, if you have any opinions regarding true crime, the latest gadgets, or how overpriced cars have become, swing by my office to chat! When she is not at Princeton, Christina enjoys getting into mischief with her two young kiddos (Aria and Asher), husband (Josh), and new puppy (Miles).
Dana Molina
Executive Director, Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies
dlmolina@princeton.edu | extension: 8-5765
Dana Molina joined the Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies in 2018. She serves as the Center’s Executive Director where she organizes high-level symposia events, recruits short- and long-term visitors whose time on campus includes book talks, student roundtables, seminars, and public talks, and manages student research forums and faculty and graduate student grants. She also oversees fundraising activities, attracting individual and corporate member support for economic policy research. Partnering with other centers across the university, Dana encourages interdisciplinary collaboration on a wide variety of topics related to economics.
Dana spent the previous ten years overseeing account management and finance for SureTech, a cloud computing and IT services company she co-founded. Dana worked as the Director of Volunteer Programs at Partnerships for Parks in New York City, where she oversaw event logistics and sponsorship for large-scale volunteer events, as well as recognition and grant programs for local volunteer groups. Prior to that she was program manager for the Foundation for a Civil Society, for their initiatives in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In her volunteer life, Dana is involved with many area non-profits and is currently on the boards of Housing Initiatives of Princeton and The Jewish Center. She also volunteers with the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry and The Friends of Princeton Open Space.
Dana enjoys traveling to new places, stand up surfing, and gardening. Her husband Alberto is a serial entrepreneur and is currently running the technology for a new photo product site and also enjoys writing poetry and playing improvisational music. Their daughter Catalina will be a freshman at Princeton this fall and son Milo will be a junior at Princeton High School. Dana loves walking their dog Rocco around town. He can often be found in her office waiting to greet any dog lovers. She received her B.A. from Yale University and served as Peace Corps Volunteer in the Czech Republic and can still speak some Czech.
Connor Reid
Technical Support Specialist
cr8591@princeton.edu | extension: 8-3892
As the Technical Support Specialist for the Economics Department, Connor Reid focuses on ensuring our technology runs smoothly. His responsibilities include troubleshooting technical issues, managing and supporting classroom and meeting room technology, purchasing IT equipment, and overseeing the department's various servers. In all that work, Connor’s goal is to make sure that everyone in the department—whether they’re working in the office or remotely—has everything they need to work efficiently and productively.
Connor began his journey in IT at Mercer County Community College, where he pursued studies in Information Technology. Before joining Princeton, he worked as a Service Desk Analyst at News Corp, where he provided IT support for major media entities like Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, as well as other companies within their network.
Outside of work, Connor is passionate about collecting comic books, horror movies, and vintage video games. He also enjoys staying active through hiking and running in the many parks and nature preserves around New Jersey. Additionally, he has a deep passion for live music, particularly within the heavy metal scenes, which he actively follows and supports.
Charles Saltzman
Web Developer
cs33@princeton.edu | extension: 8-5151
Born in Paterson NJ, Charles Saltzman left the varsity soccer team for marching band his senior year of high school, also forming a rock/pop band called the Bemhos with his friends.
He would continue in marching band at Rutgers University, where he majored in Mathematics and Art History with a minor in Music. He also played organ/keys at all local Rutgers Basketball games, including more than a few at Madison Square Garden.
After college, Charles headed across the country to pursue a Master of Architecture degree at the University of California at Los Angeles. While completing his Master’s thesis in the computer lab, he discovered a fledgling entity called the World Wide Web and taught himself HTML. Following graduation, seeing the demand for web designers and developers in the burgeoning new industry, he took up the web as a career.
Following a lengthy stint at Freedom Magazines, Charles took a sabbatical from the corporate scene to bartend in Culver City for a few years. He returned to the digital world to design musical greeting cards for American Greetings Interactive. After the shutdown of the musical greeting cards division, he quickly found his way into a small startup called MySpace, where he worked as their first full-time designer. Following the company's acquisition by News Corporation, he watch it grow into a multi-national social media giant. He finished his tenure at MySpace as Manager of Design and Development.
After another couple of years bartending, Charles returned to a web development role for Signature Card Services, a position he would occupy through a move back to the east coast to spend valuable time with family. At this point, Charles took a job in the Economics Department at Princeton University where he remains to this day.
But in case you were wondering: The Bemhos recently celebrated their 38th anniversary, with all six original members still in the band, and continue to perform regularly to this day.
Laura Sciarrotta
Finance Manager
lsciarro@princeton.edu | extension: 8-2858
Laura Sciarrotta is the Finance Manager for the Economics Department, a position she has held for over fifteen years. A graduate of Muhlenberg College, Laura earned her CPA license after completing her studies, setting the stage for a career in accounting. She began her professional journey at Deloitte & Touche, where she honed her skills as an auditor and was even part of the team that audited Princeton University itself—a unique experience that would later bring her full circle back to Princeton! After her time at Deloitte, Laura took on the role of Senior Accountant at Cigna in Philadelphia, where she gained insights into corporate finance. She then returned to the Princeton area, serving as the General Accounting Manager at Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. for several years.
While the corporate world provided her with a wealth of experience, Laura knew she wanted to spend her career in higher education. This led her to join the Economics Department at Princeton, where she has found fulfillment in supporting the academic mission of the university.
When she’s not crunching numbers or managing budgets, Laura enjoys a variety of hobbies. She is an avid crocheter, often creating beautiful pieces for family and friends. A true Jersey girl at heart, Laura loves spending time at Long Beach Island, where she enjoys the sun, surf, and sand. Laura lives in Lawrenceville, NJ, with her husband and son, and can frequently be found cheering on her son at his baseball and basketball games.
Stu Sternbach
Department Office Support
ss5902@princeton.edu | extension: 8-4001
Stu Sternbach joined the department in 2021 when, after twenty years commuting to New York City on the New Jersey Transit, he finally had the courage to walk away from the small creative business he founded many years prior. Through this business, Stu represented artisans in the fields of television production with a focus on on-air commercials and high-end video content. His clients were mostly advertising agencies and Fortune 500 companies.
As an agent, he worked closely with film directors, editors, animation studios and music houses securing work and managing the relationships between talent and agency. He was also fortunate to have worked with the Universal Studios Florida Production Group as a freelance business developer for their shooting stages. Prior to working at Princeton, he also had more than a handful of jobs that included producing pharma videos and teaching music for commercials as an adjunct professor in New York.
These days, his creative endeavors continue by teaching instrumental music and performing in various bands. He plays a few instruments and composes on occasion, so if you’re a musician or singer please make sure to let him know. In fact, if you are reading this, why not sign up for his Wintersession harmonica course. It's a lot of fun. Anyway, he’s a local dad and his two daughters live close by, so he’s looking forward to staying at Princeton and working closer to family.
Michi (Michiko) Statham
Event Coordinator
michikom@princeton.edu | extension: 8-7986
Michi Statham is a dedicated Event Coordinator for the Department of Economics. where she enjoys crafting unforgettable experiences for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Although just over a year with the Economics team, Michi has had quite the journey within the university, having her start with Donor Relations just before the Covid pandemic closed university offices and classrooms. She returned once things started opening back up and helped University Health Services (UHS) with Covid testing protocols for university staff and students for a year. She later begin working with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) as an office manager for the Carl Fields Center where her passion for hosting events took off. Michi holds a B.S. in Psychology, which naturally coincides with her love for working with people of diverse backgrounds.
With her vibrant spirit, she brings people together through beautifully orchestrated events that reflect her attention to detail and creativity. Beyond her work, Michiko is a lover of all things creative—whether she’s indulging in her latest craft project, exploring new travel destinations, or embracing the great outdoors through exercise, short hikes, swimming, pickleball, occasional basketball and backyard barbecues with family and friends.
An avid music enthusiast of sorts and self-proclaimed movie buff, she can also be found discovering new culinary delights, making her a true foodie at heart. Michiko is particularly proud of her journey in raising outstanding children, believing that nurturing the next generation is her most rewarding adventure. Passionate about owning her own event planning business, she balances her career with a warm, friendly nature that leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets. For Michiko, happiness is intertwined with family, friendships, and the joy of creating moments worth celebrating.
Oscar Torres-Reyna
Head of the Economic Statistical Services (ESS) Unit
otorres@princeton.edu | extension: 8-3067
Oscar Torres-Reyna serves as the head of the Economic Statistical Services (ESS) Unit in the Department of Economics. With an impressive career that began at Princeton in 2007, Oscar has become a pivotal figure in the academic community, known for his expertise in data analysis and his dedication to teaching.
In addition to his role at Princeton, Oscar is a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where he teaches statistics and data analytics in the Economics Department. This dual role at two prestigious institutions underscores his commitment to nurturing the next generation of statisticians and economists.
Oscar's academic journey is marked by a diverse and robust educational background. He holds degrees in economics, statistics, public administration, and political science, reflecting a broad and interdisciplinary approach to his work. This diverse educational foundation has equipped him with a unique perspective on the application of statistical methods across different domains, allowing him to bridge gaps between theoretical research and practical application.
Over his 33-year career, Oscar has amassed a wealth of experience across the federal government, the private sector, and academic settings. This extensive experience has provided him with a deep understanding of the complexities and nuances of data analysis in various contexts. His work is characterized by a dual focus: extracting meaningful insights from data and effectively communicating these insights to a broader audience.
At the core of Oscar's professional and academic endeavors is a passion for data analysis. He believes in the power of data to uncover hidden patterns, answer critical questions, and inform decision-making processes. His work often involves assisting students in applying sophisticated statistical techniques to analyze economic data, and advising on how to find valuable insights that drive both their understanding of academic research and the relevance of practical policy decisions.
Equally important to Oscar is his commitment to education. He has dedicated a significant portion of his career to teaching and mentoring students, particularly those who may not have a background in statistics or econometrics. He understands that these fields can be daunting to newcomers and strives to make them accessible and engaging. His teaching philosophy is rooted in clarity, patience, and enthusiasm, aiming to demystify complex concepts and empower students with the skills they need to succeed.
Oscar's contributions to the field are not limited to the classroom or his direct professional responsibilities. He has collaborated with other units across campus that seek to advance the teaching of data analysis and the application of statistical software, continuously working to push the boundaries of knowledge and practice in his field.