An economist invested in our vulnerable

After graduating from Girls Grammar in 2016, Josephine Auer (2015) began a Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) at UQ as part of the inaugural cohort. At the culmination of this degree, Josephine maintained a 7.0 GPA and was thus named The University of Queensland 2020 Graduate of the Year and Valedictorian of the Economics School. Not yet done with her studies, she enrolled in a Bachelor of Mathematics, focusing in the areas of pure mathematics and statistics. 

Her academic achievements in both degrees have since opened many doors for further postgraduate economics study. Alongside the Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford, Josephine was also offered fellowships to continue her postgraduate studies later at MIT, Harvard, Stanford, the University of Chicago, UCB, and Yale.  

‘These are all opportunities that would not have been possible without the educational grounding I received here at Girls Grammar,’ Josephine said. 

Alongside her university studies, Josephine enjoyed postings at the Queensland Investment Corporation and the Reserve Bank of Australia, and worked as a pre-doctorate analyst at the e61 Institute. At e61—which is a not-for-profit economics think-tank headquartered in Sydney—she worked alongside several academics and industry leaders, with a particular focus on the labour market outcomes of disadvantaged Australians. Josephine has also worked as a Research Assistant in the School of Economics at UQ, focusing on environmental auction theory. 

In October 2023, Josephine was elected as the 2023 Queensland Rhodes Scholar. This scholarship—which is awarded to nine Australians each year—offered Josephine the opportunity to attend the University of Oxford (Magdalen College) in the UK in 2024, where she undertook a Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics.  

Josephine had long dreamed of being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, from as early as her first week starting at Girls Grammar in 2015. 

‘It was a very exciting week—lots of new friends and faces, fancy new classes like Latin and German, and a million sports I could pick and choose from. And I was in the best house—Beanland! During this first week, we are escorted into Main Building for a welcome from the Principal and our House Coordinator. Lining the walls of the room were many wooden boards, each listing the names of past Grammar girls who had received various honours during their time at the School. I’ll never forget that day, scanning the board that listed Duxes of the School. There was one name that instantly caught my eye—that of Caitlin Goss, a 2001 Grammar girl who, in 2009, went on to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. Caitlin’s story was one I was aware of coming to Girls Grammar.’ 

While studying at Oxford, Josephine has maintained her love for competitive running. She has competed in the 49th Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge, the Elite Women’s Field of the Sir Roger Bannister Mile 70th Anniversary Event, won the Oxford Town and Gown 10 km event and anchored the Oxford team as part of the winning team in the inaugural 72-mile Ekiden relay from Oxford to Windsor. She has also been selected as part of the Oxford and Cambridge team to travel to the US in April 2025 for the Achilles Tour—a series that has taken place since 1894—to compete against Harvard, Yale, Penn and Cornell.