Milutin Todorovic was disturbed to learn that over 60 % of students choose a major or field of study that doesn’t align with their interests.
The Glenbrook South High School senior decided to do something about it by introducing middle and high school students to a new field of study that could be an interesting career path for them by writing “Gateway to Econophysics: Inspiring the Next Generation.” The book is available on amazon.com.
Glenview resident Todorovic, who moved to this country from Serbia as a high school freshman, had already been honored for his writing when he began this project, including earning a High Commendation in Oxford’s academic writing competition.
“Many high schoolers are not considering economics as a possible degree,” Todorovic noted.
He was inspired to write the book when he first learned about the field of econophysics.
“I think it’s a field that not many people have heard about,” Todorovic said. “Many physicists have started to understand that their knowledge and ideas could be applied to different fields, such as sociophysics and geophysics. I think that econophysics, as an emerging study, caught my attention since it utilized the same type of thinking physics did. It used this idea of observation and having to use equations to explain how real world concepts function in everyday lives.”
The subject also fascinated Todorovic because “I was already passionate about economics,” he said. “I always read economics books as a kid. It’s imperative to know how the economy functions overall. It makes us better citizens and makes a better republic overall.”
In creating “Gateway to Econophysics,” Todorovic’s first step was figuring out how to create a book on this complex subject for a high school and middle school audience. He said, “I contacted more than 30 or 40 professors, trying to get advice on what aspects of this field of study could I possibly find that would allow me to explain it in the best way to high school and middle school students.”
Once he wrote the book, Todorovic’s father, who has a background in economics, reviewed it for him.
Todorovic credits his good friend Aayan Oeloi of Glenview for helping him with his book project. Oeloi, who just graduated from Glenbrook South High School, will be attending Georgetown University in the fall to study international politics.
“I mostly helped him in terms of being able to navigate the process of putting together a book,” Oeloi said. “I collected a wide variety of sources.” He also answered Todorovic’s questions about how to structure the book.
Oeloi was impressed with the finished product. “I thought it was a great showcase of his knowledge on the field for someone of his age,” he said. “I thought it was also a great showcase of initiative.”
He believes this is an important book because “It’s an emerging field that isn’t discovered a lot,” he said. It offers an opportunity for “learning about the way the economy functions but also connecting that to the way the world operates on a natural and more scientific field.”
Oeloi became acquainted with Todorovic because they were both on the school’s debate team. “Ever since his freshman year, I’ve sort of been a mentor to him,” he explained.
Todorovic’s plans include studying economics in college, hopefully at Johns Hopkins University. He hopes to have a career at a research institution, “contributing to the field of econophysics,” Todorovic said.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.