Economics shapes student’s career with IRS

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A. Sue Weisler

Christine Longo hopes to makes the U.S. economic system better by sharing her talents with the Internal Revenue Service after graduation.

Christine Longo fell in love with economics at an early age. She started watching the news and following the stock market with her father while still in middle school and developed a keen interest in the economy, finance and politics. Her family encouraged this interest through constant discussions on current events from the state of the job market to foreign trade, and by high school she considered turning her enthusiasm into a profession.

That interest has turned into a successful educational and career path and she has excelled both in the classroom and in professional circles. Longo, from Utica, N.Y., will graduate in May with a degree in economics and has been selected by the College of Liberal Arts to serve as student delegate and speak at the college’s commencement ceremonies.

“I look forward to representing my classmates and giving something back to the RIT community which has been such an important part of my personal and professional growth,” notes Longo.

Longo will have the opportunity to immediately make a difference in U.S. economic and tax policy thanks to her position as an analyst with the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C.

She previously conducted two cooperative-education assignments in Washington, first with the Office of Economic Policy Analysis at the Department of the Treasury and then with the Office of Program Evaluation and Risk Assessment within the IRS. While serving with the IRS, Longo assisted on a research project designed to streamline customer-service operations, working with a team to improve the income-tax installment payment process.

“I developed process maps to show the interactions a customer goes through in setting up an installment payment, and helped develop recommendations on how the process can be improved,” says Longo.

She will return to the Office of Program Evaluation this summer and will work with the installment agreement team to conduct further research on the process and evaluate possible reforms. She hopes her work will increase the effectiveness of the IRS and help the agency meet its mission of providing excellent service to American taxpayers.

“The IRS is truly interested in assisting citizens and in making the entire tax process as simple as possible,” Longo adds. “It is extremely gratifying to be a small part of that process.”

Longo also plans to attend graduate school and would like to ultimately work in global financial policy. Whichever path she chooses, Longo hopes to provide assistance to the next generation of economists, similar to the help she has received at RIT and the IRS.