After graduating from high school in 2015, James Wallis tried college, worked for a few years and then set off for the University of Texas in nearby Tyler in 2019. Wallis, who hails from Longview, just two hours east of Dallas, took business classes as a freshman and discovered economics!
“I am passionate about economics, particularly behavioral economics and microeconomics – consumer psychology and game theory are key interests,” Wallis said. “I discovered this through freshman level business classes at UT Tyler, and that is what pushed me to pursue it as my degree when I transferred to Arkansas my junior year!”
Wallis transferred to the Sam M. Walton College of Business so that he could study economics within a business college instead of a college of arts and sciences. He then graduated from the Walton College in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and he quickly enrolled into Walton College’s Master of Science in Economic Analytics program.
After completing the MSEA program in the spring of 2024, Wallis returned to Longview to work remotely as a strategic business intelligence manager for UNFI – United Natural Foods Inc. – which is the largest publicly-traded wholesale distributor in North America that specializes in healthier food options.
“The MSEA program has helped immensely with my current role, and I use time-series forecasts and machine learning techniques to forecast a variety of measures that are critical to our business at UNFI,” Wallis said. “Some examples include food inflation levels, grocery sales volumes, and unemployment – all predictions are made through the methods I learned in the MSEA program!”
“My main responsibilities are providing economic research, forecasting key business metrics, analyzing the competitive landscape, and reducing uncertainty for company leadership as much as I can,” he shared. “We have a small team – four of us total – but we work hard together to provide as much strategic vision as we can! I have learned so much from my coworkers – Michael, Angela, and my boss Nick – and have really enjoyed my time there.”
Tips for Prospective Students
Reflecting on his experiences at Walton College, James knows what it takes to be successful in the program.
“A prospective student needs to know the time commitment that comes with graduate level work, and also the challenging learning curve that comes with learning how to code at the beginning of the program (Python, R, SQL, etc.). Of course, these challenges can be overcome, and the experience is so incredibly worth it,” he said. “The time commitment outside of class hours was usually around 30 hours a week of work with some weeks being lighter and some weeks being heavier, i.e. capstone project time.”
“The most challenging part of the economic analytics program was the condensed schedule, which made it a very busy year for all of us in the ‘24 cohort, but it was well worth it,” Wallis added. “The most rewarding part of the program, beyond the material and methods I learned, were the relationships I made with the faculty and the friendships I made with students in my cohort.”
After Graduation: Next Steps
As his graduate studies concluded, James focused on the task at hand: employment. One thing led to another, and he learned how important networking was to strengthen his career, although his boss insists James landed the job purely due to his personality and skillset!
“I joined the team at UNFI due to a family connection with a sales representative at the company who introduced me to my boss Nick Walker, who leads the strategic business intelligence team,” Wallis shared. “I also did my fair share of applying online, but all of my serious leads came from networking with people I knew! I would encourage current and prospective students to really focus on building relationships with people in the business areas they are interested in, and job opportunities will follow!”
The Walton Advantage
The faculty in the Department of Economics made an impression on James, as did the program itself.
“Even if you're not the most technically inclined student, take a chance with the MSEA program! It is a great investment financially, and it only takes a year of your time. In business, graduate level education really helps in gaining attention for prospective jobs!”
“I felt extremely supported by the graduate faculty in the MSEA program, but most specifically by Dr. Gu, Dr. Bhattacharya, and of course, Dr. Jung,” Wallis said. James shared that his undergraduate mentor, Dr. Robert Stapp, also had a strong influence on his college career.
“I'm very thankful for my time at the University of Arkansas and specifically at the Walton College. The economics faculty and leadership really made a profound impression on my personal and professional life, and for that I will always be grateful!”
