Angela C. E. Mensah, an assistant professor of economics at Pepperdine University, has been awarded a $6,400 Educational Entrepreneurship Grant from the Institute for Human Studies at George Mason University. The grant will support the launch of the Pepperdine Economic Forum, an initiative aimed at fostering intellectual exchange and deep engagement with classical economic principles through research and mentorship.
Mensah emphasized the importance of a humanistic approach to education, particularly in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. She believes that cultivating critical reasoning, creativity, and individuality is essential for preparing students to navigate a rapidly evolving global economy.
“As an educator, my responsibility is to help students think critically and prepare them to engage meaningfully with a rapidly changing world, and this grant will provide more opportunities to do so,” Mensah said. “I aim for my students to participate in thoughtful dialogue over the world economy, our shared history, free market ideas, liberty, and justice, and to see diversity and inclusion of all thought not as a political talking point, but as a human achievement that strengthens all of us.”
The Pepperdine Economic Forum will feature two main components: the Brown Bag Research Forum and the Guest Speaker Series. The Brown Bag Research Forum will offer a casual lunchtime setting where economics students can refine ongoing projects, receive feedback from faculty and peers, and develop public speaking and critical thinking skills. Mensah and other Pepperdine professors will serve as mentors in this environment.
The Guest Speaker Series will include lectures from leading economic scholars, followed by open discussions to encourage dialogue between students and experts. Topics will cover markets and morality, constitutional governance, and civil liberties, in alignment with the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary.
Mensah, who earned her PhD in economics from Colorado State University after completing graduate studies in her home country of Ghana, brings a global perspective to her teaching. She advocates for education models that emphasize applied intellectual insights and reduce overreliance on AI while promoting genuine diverse thinking.
“Growing up in Africa and then moving to the US brings a global perspective to my teaching where I want Pepperdine students to be open to understanding the full story of how international economies are working while also equipping them with the intellectual tools to think independently,” Mensah explained. “AI is already reshaping how we teach and learn, and if we want our students to thrive in today’s global landscape, we need to adopt modern techniques in our teaching and create the best educational experiences for our students, to truly equip them for the future.”
— news from Pepperdine University
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Professor Angela C. E. Mensah Receives $6,400 Educational Entrepreneurship Grant to Launch the Pepperdine Economic Forum
As technology integrates into daily life in unforeseen ways with the development of AI, Angela C. E. Mensah, assistant professor of economics, asserts that a humanistic approach to education focused on critical reasoning, creativity, and individuation is more crucial than ever before.
Mensah has been awarded a $6,400 Educational Entrepreneurship Grant from the Institute for Human Studies at George Mason University for her initiative to launch the Pepperdine Economic Forum designed to promote community-focused intellectual exchange, where students deeply engage with classical economic principles through active research and mentorship.
“As an educator, my responsibility is to help students think critically and prepare them to engage meaningfully with a rapidly changing world, and this grant will provide more opportunities to do so,” says Mensah. “I aim for my students to participate in thoughtful dialogue over the world economy, our shared history, free market ideas, liberty, and justice, and to see diversity and inclusion of all thought not as a political talking point, but as a human achievement that strengthens all of us.”
The Pepperdine Economic Forum will consist of two core components: the Brown Bag Research Forum and the Guest Speaker Series. The Brown Bag Research Forum, named for its casual lunchtime setting, will be a comfortable workshop environment for economics students to refine in-progress projects while connecting with peers and faculty. Mensah, along with additional Pepperdine professors, will serve as a mentor, providing constructive feedback while encouraging students’ confidence in public speaking and relating ideas to broader classical principles to develop their critical thinking skills.
The Guest Speaker Series will incorporate lectures given by leading economic scholars with open discussion periods to encourage dialogue between students and guest speakers. Scholars will share insights on topics related to markets and morality, constitutional government, and civil liberties in honor of the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary.
“This program is open to all in the economics program and will give Pepperdine students a platform to present their own economic research while receiving thoughtful feedback from myself and their peers, even if they are not taking a class from me,” explains Mensah. “Whether these students will pursue higher education or enter the workforce, it is important for me to teach them specialized skills.”
After completing her graduate studies in Ghana, her home country, Mensah earned her PhD in economics from Colorado State University, where her cross-cultural perspective informed her specialization in global economic dynamics as well as environmental economics and applied econometrics. Mensah advocates for education models that emphasize applied intellectual insights, reducing overreliance on AI while protecting and promoting genuine diverse thinking.
“Growing up in Africa and then moving to the US brings a global perspective to my teaching where I want Pepperdine students to be open to understanding the full story of how international economies are working while also equipping them with the intellectual tools to think independently,” says Mensah. “AI is already reshaping how we teach and learn, and if we want our students to thrive in today’s global landscape, we need to adopt modern techniques in our teaching and create the best educational experiences for our students, to truly equip them for the future.”