I am an Assistant Professor of Economics at Florida Southern College and faculty fellow at their Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. I received my master's degree and Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Texas Tech University where I was also a Research Assistant at the Free Market Institute. Prior to embarking on my doctoral journey, I attained my bachelor's degree in Economics from Hillsdale College in Michigan. I am originally from Solon, OH—just outside of Cleveland.

 

My research interests center around institutional economics, political economy, and public choice with a pronounced focus on economic freedom using the Economic Freedom of the World index published annually by the Fraser Institute. My recent research delves into economic freedom concerning regulatory responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, aspects often unaccounted for in existing measures of economic freedom.  Additionally, I explore how different political economy considerations, such as pre-existing levels of economic freedom and political ideology, have
shaped the diverse state responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.