Professor Nilufer Cagatay Memorial Scholarship

Nilüfer Çağatay, 1955-2022, was a brilliant and engaging professor of economics at the University of Utah. She received her BA in economics and political science from Yale University and her Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

We want to keep Professor Çağatay’s vision and memory alive! The Professor Nilüfer Çağatay Memorial Scholarship is being established to further her pioneering work in gender-aware macroeconomics. Reaching the $25,000 endowment goal within two years* will be a significant milestone, as it will ensure that this scholarship supports graduate students committed to pursuing research in feminist macroeconomics and international economics in perpetuity.

An innovative scholar, a valued collaborator, and a generous mentor of young scholars, Nilüfer made a lasting contribution to the development of feminist macroeconomics. She co-founded the International Working Group on Gender and Macroeconomics (GEM-IWG), an international network for promoting research and advocacy on gender equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization. Subsequently, GEM-IWG extended its activities to include training and raising gender awareness in research and policy formulation by junior PhD economists around the world. Nilüfer affectionately referred to the members as “GEMistas.” Nilüfer also worked as an economic advisor at the United National Development Program (UNDP) on women's empowerment. She was passionate about using her work to combat inequality.

Nilüfer cared deeply about the underprivileged, the plight of women all over the world, and her friends. Everyone she encountered felt her generosity of spirit. Charismatic yet always genuine, she inspired many colleagues and young researchers. Her sense of humor was uplifting, and her sheer joy of living contagious.

By continuing and further strengthening this research, The Professor Nilüfer Çağatay Memorial Scholarship will also serve to maintain the breadth of economic thinking for which the University of Utah’s Department of Economics is renowned.

*In the event this scholarship does nor receive a minimum of $25,000 in contributions within two years, the funds collected will establish an expendable scholarship (not an endowment) and will be used to provide scholarships using the same criteria stated above until the funds are exhausted.