Laura Grube’s Mercatus Fellowship Story
Bridging Ideas and Action: How a Mercatus Fellowship Opened Doors for Laura Grube
undefinedundefinedaura Grube took a bold gamble when she applied to graduate school: she applied to only one program; the George Mason University PhD in economics. Today, as a professor at Beloit College leading the Upton Forum and teaching entrepreneurship and civic leadership, Laura embodies the Mercatus vision of bridging rigorous scholarship with real-world impact.
Laura Grube’s path to graduate school was anything but conventional. After working at the Free Market Foundation in South Africa and spending two years in business consulting, she took a leap; applying to only one program: the George Mason University PhD in economics, with support from Mercatus fellowships. “I knew that the scholars that were there, the faculty there, were interested in the big questions and also questions that are related to policy,” she recalls.
That instinct proved right. At Mercatus, Laura found an intellectual community that didn’t separate theory from the real world. “People doing research that matters, right? People doing research that bridges the gap, policy work, communicating ideas,” she says. She wasn’t just learning economics in the abstract. She was preparing to apply it.
People doing research that matters, right? People doing research that bridges the gap, policy work, communicating ideas.
Through Mercatus’s support, Laura gained hands-on experience in research that addressed real-world challenges. She worked closely with Virgil Storr, producing several co-authored papers, and pursued fieldwork in post-disaster environments. First after Hurricane Katrina and later after Superstorm Sandy. “It was really this incredible intellectual community that extended well beyond the classroom,” she says.
Students graduate with at least one, in many cases several publications, which really give them a leg up in the job market.
That experience deeply shaped Laura’s long-term research agenda. Her dissertation focused on how communities solve collective action problems after disasters. A study of entrepreneurship and social coordination without central planners. Today, that work continues. She explores how entrepreneurship and innovation affect local governance and economic resilience; applying the same principles she began developing during her Mercatus years.
Mercatus also opened doors beyond research. Laura speaks candidly about how the fellowship experience created meaningful connections and opportunities. "I think the PhD program opened a lot of doors for me," she says. "It's a program that is well respected. Students graduate with at least one, in many cases several publications, which really give them a leg up in the job market."
You're part of a brand that has a reputation that extends so far.
But it wasn’t just about publications. It was about joining a network of scholars and institutions committed to serious inquiry. "You're part of a brand that has a reputation that extends so far," she explains. "People that know of Mercatus and know of the ideas... its hard to understand when you have just graduated the program, what kind of value add that will bring."
Today, as a professor at Beloit College, Laura teaches entrepreneurship, comparative economic systems, and civic leadership. She leads the Upton Forum, bringing prominent scholars to campus and challenging students to think critically about markets, governance, and society. In her research, teaching, and community work, she embodies the Mercatus vision of bridging rigorous ideas with real-world action.
Laura’s story is a reminder of why Mercatus fellowships matter. They don't just support students; they prepare them to carry ideas into the world, to open doors for others, and to show how entrepreneurship and creative problem-solving can make a difference at every level.