Austin Perea

Senior Austin Perea is an ambitious, socially conscious individual whose experience researching Islamic microfinance has whetted his appetite for future research opportunities. While some individuals caught in the middle of a military coup may have become frightened of travelling abroad, for this native of Derry, NH, travelling the world is (still) part of his long term life goals. Austin will graduate in May of 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science. His experiences in Egypt and Jordan researching Middle Eastern microfinance were, in his words, “a confluence of all my relevant interests in politics, development, economics, social business, and the Middle East.”  Austin received an IROP grant to complete his research, and the project resulted in a longer paper, effectively his thesis. Austin is extremely passionate about social responsibility, particularly in business. His outlook on business and life are dictated by his central conviction that his generation has a responsibility to improve the world. Although he regrets not being able to speak with business policy-makers and practitioners while in Cairo, Austin learned a great deal about the dynamic nature of the Islamic banking system, and is pleased to share his finding with readers in Inquiry. Upon graduating from UNH, Austin will begin working as a research associate with Boston Consulting Group.