Betsy Alter

Betsy Alter’s passion for quantitative economics brought her to Cal Poly’s MSQE program after earning a B.S. in Economics from Saint Mary’s College. Originally from Walnut Creek, CA, Betsy chose the 10-month program for its hands-on opportunities and intensive format. “I loved econometrics during undergrad and wanted to dive deeper. The World Bank project and SLO’s beautiful setting sealed the deal,” she explained.

During the program, Betsy developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills that serve her well as a Quantitative Analyst at RBF Capital in San Francisco. “I focus on connecting social media trends to stock market activity, often using web scraping models built with skills from the program,” she shared.

Betsy’s involvement extended beyond the classroom. As the MSQE Ambassador under Dr. Carlos Flores, she led efforts to increase female representation, a role she found deeply fulfilling. She also worked as a Teaching and Research Assistant, helping Dr. Katya Vasilaky finalize research published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. Outside of academics, Betsy loved attending SLO’s Thursday night Farmers Market and visiting the beach.

Her favorite academic challenge was coding a machine learning model for the Computing and Machine Learning course. “It required creative problem-solving and perseverance, but the success of completing it with my partner showed me the value of determination,” Betsy said.

Since graduating, Betsy has passed Level I of the CFA exam and is preparing for Levels II and III. Long-term, she hopes to work in upper management and create financial literacy courses to help students gain a better understanding of finance.

Her advice to future students? “Collaborate with your peers and stay open to unexpected opportunities. You never know where they might lead. Also, take advantage of your professors—they want to help and are incredibly accomplished.”

This profile was published in the Winter of 2024.