JTC 26: Making Opportunity, One Intentional Step at a Time

Growing up in Taylorville, Illinois, Dan Sloan never gave much thought to Mississippi when considering where to spend his undergraduate days. However, when his older brother headed off to college, a road trip led him straight to Oxford. Immediately, he felt at home. 

In May, he graduates with a degree in economics and a minor in mathematics, having built a record of research, public service and international experience rooted in a passion for understanding the economic forces that shape our society, nation and world. 

As a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Sloan had an opportunity to take an honors section of microeconomics, which changed the trajectory of his studies.  

“I would not have discovered my academic passion without this course, and I now have plans to attend graduate school and eventually work in the field of economics,” he said. “That same professor, Dr. Garrett Scott, is now my thesis adviser and has mentored me through three classes, the revival of the economics club and graduate school applications.  

"I am forever grateful for his support.” 

Through the Honors College, Sloan also found one of his greatest mentors in Bruce Levingston, the Chancellor’s Honors College artist-in-residence and holder of the Lester Glenn Fant Chair.  

“It has been a pleasure to take his fall and spring courses that are specially and intentionally developed to not only explore the simultaneous causality of art and society, but also build students’ confidence in engaging with others,” he said.  

Levingston said that Sloan is an outstanding student. 

“He is both a superb scholar and an exceptional person,” Levingston said. “It has been a true joy getting to know him and have him in my classes. He has a brilliant future ahead of him.”  

Sloan has taken opportunities to serve both on and off campus through civic and government internships, publications and public speaking. He said one of his most meaningful experiences at Ole Miss was being named a Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Innovation Scholar.  

“Dan has been an exceptional member of the CEED program since he first interviewed with the Grisham-McLean Institute in the fall of 2022,” said Albert Nylander, director of the Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement. “From the beginning, he demonstrated a deep commitment to community and economic development, along with a genuine desire to understand how communities grow and thrive.  

“Through his internships with the Oxford-Lafayette Economic Development Foundation and the Mississippi Development Authority, Dan made lasting impressions on our community partners.” 

With the MDA, he collected data and researched business recruitment efforts to improve expansion, retention and job creation to redirect cash flow to Mississippi.  

In 2023, Sloan interned with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation in the U.S. and Rwanda, where he conducted research economic and food insecurity barriers. Along with his research in Rwanda, he engaged firsthand with communities as they worked to recover from immense tragedy.  

Sloan said that seeing the resilience, community and openness of the Rwandan locals helped him learn what it means to have genuine cross-cultural dialogue and see how his work could make a positive impact on people around him. 

This led him to apply for and be selected as a 2026-27 Fulbright Research awardee in Rwanda. Through the Fulbright, he can pursue an independent research project focusing on how companies influence economic development.  

Finally, as an intern with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., Sloan learned what it means to lead on a federal stage. He maximized this experience by taking time to meet with professionals to understand their roles and career paths.  

“Over my 50 business days in my internship, I had 53 coffee chats with current federal employees,” he said. “I learned about the motivations of public servants as well as their insights into how to navigate the professional world.”  

Sloan is “driven by a pursuit of excellence,” said J.R. Love, assistant director of economic development and Insight Park. 

“Whether it’s arriving early for an interview, going the extra mile or working late at Insight Park, he consistently demonstrates a commitment that sets him apart,” Love said. “These actions are just a few of the many ways Dan has made a lasting mark on the University of Mississippi. 

 “His impact reaches far beyond campus, and his contributions to the state of Mississippi will be felt for years to come.”  

After graduation, Dan plans to pursue the master’s in public administration in international development at Harvard University Kennedy School.  

Top: Dan Sloan, an economics senior from Taylorville, Illinois, built a record of research and public service at Ole Miss through internships with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation in Rwanda, the U.S. Department of State and the Mississippi Development Authority, and will head to Harvard University's Kennedy School before returning to Rwanda as a 2026-27 Fulbright Research awardee. Photo by Hunt Mercier/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services