Research and Courses
Research
For my entire career as a professional economist, I have had two strong and
continuing interests. First, I chose as the topic for my dissertation, and have
continued to study, the varied economic effects of railroads, especially in the
nineteenth-century United States. Second, I have written and spoken extensively
on economic policy, focusing initially on national and international issues but
more recently on those related to New York State and its Capital Region. Most of
my publications and speaking on economic policy have been for public media
rather than professional journals.
I also continue to have a strong interest in the financial markets of the United
States and Japan and in international finance.
My interest in U.S. railroads has resulted in other projects on both waterways
and the auto industry. My most recent published work in this area is in the form
of three articles (on Nikolaus August Otto; Alfred Sloan; and Social Savings) in
the newly published Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History (2003). My
current major research project on the U.S. auto industry has led to an
unpublished paper, Descent into Dominance: The
Political Economy of the American Auto Industry, 1929-41 (December
2003), which I have recently given at the Columbia University Seminar in
Economic History and the Economics Department Seminar at Carleton College. The
refining and extension of this paper continues.
A second recent publication is an article on the history of the Union College
Economics Department for the Encyclopedia of Union College History
(2003).
Teaching
Both in my permanent position as Professor of Economics at Union and as a
visiting professor at Kansai Gaidai University and Carleton College, my teaching
focus has been on finance. I bring to this endeavor both my academic work as a
professional economist and a practical background. The practical background
includes six years of working in finance for General Electric Company; two years
in Japan including both teaching and seminars related to Japanese business;
presentations to and frequent interactions with business people; and, for the
last four years, my role as a member of the Board (and currently Vice Chairman)
of the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority, which has a mandate to
redevelop downtown and enhance the economic growth of the city and county of
Schenectady. I believe we best serve our students by providing courses that set
high standards; require academic rigor; enhance practical skills such as
writing; and provide the perspective that comes from people who do finance as
well as studying it.
Like other Union faculty, I have also supervised numerous two-term senior thesis
projects, since all of our Economics students are required to complete a thesis.
I have enjoyed this experience and am proud that three of my thesis students
have won the Albert C. Ingham (1847) Prize, given annually to “the student in
the Division of the Social Sciences judged to have done the most outstanding
piece of scholarly work.”
My other long-time teaching interests include our interdisciplinary First Year
Preceptorial and history of economic thought.
I use Blackboard to administer each of
my courses.
Last Updated:
10/28/04 12:40 PM