The Kautz-Uible Economics Institute has a long and rich history of supporting economics students at the University of Cincinnati. Our story begins in the 1950s, when James C. Kautz (BA ’53, HON ’95) was a first-generation college student in UC’s economics program. Early in his studies, Jim found himself struggling and considered dropping out. His path changed profoundly when Dr. Hewett, one of his professors, became his mentor and encouraged him to continue. This connection had far-reaching effects, impacting not only Jim's life but also future students in the economics program at UC.

 

Jim successfully completed the program in 1953 and built an exceptional career, earning an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and becoming a partner at Goldman Sachs & Co. To honor his mentor and create a legacy of support for future generations, Jim and his wife Caroline established the Hewett-Kautz Fund in 1982 to provide financial support for economics students at UC.

 

It’s exactly this sentiment of paying it forward that inspired Bartlett Wealth Advisor and Principal Woodrow Uible (CFA, RLP, BA, ’75) to join the fund in 1988. As a UC economics alumnus mentored by Jim, Woody wanted to give back to the program that made such a significant impact in his life. To reflect Woody’s contributions, the fund was renamed the Kautz-Uible Fund in 1993.

 

Jim and Woody contributed generously and worked diligently with other economics alumni to further strengthen the Kautz-Uible Fund's financial foundation.  Working with Economics Department Head Joseph C. Gallo, they introduced the prestigious annual James C. Kautz Lecture Series in 1993. 

 

In 1999, Jim and Caroline’s son Dan Kautz, co-founder of real estate development and management organization K&S Companies, continued his parents’ legacy and became actively involved with the fund. Over the following decades, Dan and Woody worked closely with several economics department heads, including Professors Sourushe Zandvakili, Wolfgang Mayer, Nicolas Williams, and Debashis Pal, along with staff and alumni within the UC economics community to expand not only the fund’s scholarship program but also include enrichment activities such as the James C. and Caroline Kautz professorship in economics; a Women in Economics initiative spearheaded by Amanda Wait (BA, ’00) and Nandita Jena (MS, ’03); educational travel opportunities; and a Pathways to Success program co-founded by Abdou Ndao (BBA, ’20).

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Thanks to a significant gift from Dan and Woody in 2019, and through the vision and efforts of Dr. Debashis Pal, the Kautz-Uible Fund became the Kautz-Uible Economics Institute, further developing its scope of activities while keeping the mission of enriching the lives of economics students at its core. In addition to their leadership roles within the institute’s Board of Trustees, Dan and Woody have remained actively involved within the UC economics community over the years. The pair frequently attend economics events and regularly participate in study-abroad programs led by UC economics faculty to India and Norway, getting to know students on a personal level and offering mentorship along the way.

 

Since the institute’s founding, Dan and Woody have supported the economics department individually and collectively. Woody was instrumental in establishing the Kautz-Uible Professorship held by Michael Jones, PhD, and Dan, along with his sister Leslie and the Kautz Family Foundation, played a pivotal role in creating the Kautz Attic, a dynamic student-centric space in the newly designed Lindner Hall.

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Together, Dan and Woody continually seek to enhance the student experience within the economics department. In partnership with Dr. Jones, Dan and Woody have established innovative resources that provide students with unique experiential learning opportunities, including the Kautz-Uible Cryptoeconomics Lab and Kautz-Uible Cryptocurrency Fund, positioning UC at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Since its opening in Fall 2022, Dr. Jones has served as the lab’s Director, overseeing applied research and corporate engagements that focus on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. He also developed an academic course offered through the Lindner College of Business that provides students with hands-on experience in managing the Kautz-Uible Cryptocurrency Fund.

 

Today, alongside Dan, Woody, and a vigorous Board of Trustees, the institute’s team – comprised of Managing Director Debashis Pal, PhD; Kautz-Uible Cryptoeconomics Lab Director Michael Jones, PhD; and Program Coordinator Sarah Asebrook, MA – remains committed to carrying out our original mission of enriching the lives of economics students at UC.