I’m Professor of Economics and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Economics at the University of Virginia. I’m blessed to teach and research the subject I love with tremendous students and to live with my wife Krista and our children in one of the very best cities in America.
Before teaching at UVA, I earned my Ph.D. at George Mason University and then taught for nine years at Hillsdale College, a great small liberal arts college in Michigan. I learned to teach there, with small classes of 10-15 students. This gave me a better understanding of the student’s point of view. Even though I now teach more than 1,000 students in my macro principles classes, I try to remember what I learned from my days at Hillsdale and apply it to the larger groups.
Teaching large groups presents greater risks and greater rewards. When I teach, I try to engage students and let them participate in the lecture. This is now more possible in big classes with clickers. In addition, I often ask for volunteers from the class to bring up front for an illustration. When students see one of their peers up front, they always pay close attention.
Economics was my first class as an undergraduate and I fell in love with it almost immediately. Because economics is about human behavior, people are naturally drawn to it, especially when it is well-taught. This makes teaching economics more rewarding. Students enjoy learning about behavioral choices, jobs, incomes, economic growth, trade and recessions.
I have co-written the textbooks for Principles of Economics with Dirk Matter (Econ Professor at the University of Arizona). Dirk and I both wanted to write a book that really speaks to students and gives economics the platform it deserves. Economic behavior, policies, and outcomes are all around us. Showing these examples to students brings the ideas to life. Our textbooks are an attempt to do just that.
