Skip to main content

About William E. Herrin

Teaching Philosophy
I try to teach a few things all at once.  First and foremost, students learn principles of economics that help them think more clearly and a bit differently about the world around them.   Whenever possible I also emphasize the ambiguity and complexity of the world in which we live.  I try to emphasize that while economic theory provides very useful insight, complex problems always defy clear and obvious solutions.  When the topic is a vexing problem, I think it's important to answer some questions with "I don't know" to help students realize that no one narrative, no single perspective, can explain everything.  I say it's OK to leave class with a lot of unanswered questions.  

I ask quite a few questions in class, even in the mathematically-oriented ones, so that students learn concepts by thinking through answers as I guide them along.  Again, I always say it's OK if you don't quickly understand because it means you're seeing the nuances of difficult concepts.  I also try to convey other, more general skills that will be useful no matter what career path students choose.  In upper-division classes, including very quantitative courses like econometrics, I ask them to develop their writing skills.  I ask students to read quite a bit and then explain and critique the gist of what they have read.  I ask them to argue.  I sometimes ask them to work in groups.      

I believe that many times the most important learning takes place without students ever realizing it.  Most students will not become professional economists.  So grappling with complexity and uncertainly and thinking through and explaining answers to questions are the skills that will probably matter most to them.  Fully engaging the specific course content becomes the vehicle for developing these more general skills.  

Finally, I treat all my classes as works in progress, and never teach the same course exactly the same way.  From using different technologies to changing assignments, readings, and topics, I believe any course can be made better through experimentation.   
  
Research Interests
Applied econometric work and the intersection of development, health, and urban/housing economics

Positions

Present Alexander R. Heron Professor of Economics, University of the Pacific ‐ College of the Pacific
to
Present Director, School of International Studies, University of the Pacific ‐ School of International Studies
to
August 2006 - July 2007 Senior Research Economist, Federal Housing Finance Agency
to
1992 - 2004 Associate Professor of Economics, University of the Pacific ‐ College of the Pacific
to
1997 - 2002 Chair, Department of Economics, University of the Pacific ‐ College of the Pacific
to
1999 - 2000 Visiting Associate Professor of Economics, Makerere University
to
1994 - 1995 Visiting Associate Professor of Economics, Makerere University
to
1985 - 1992 Assistant Professor of Economics, University of the Pacific ‐ College of the Pacific
to

Disciplines

Research Interests

$
to
Enter a valid date range.

Professional Service and Affiliations

1999 - 2000 Fulbright Teaching and Research Scholarship, Makerere University Institute of Economics, Kampala, Uganda
1994 - 1995 Fulbright Teaching and Research Scholarship, Economics Department, Makerere University, and Economic Policy Research Centre, Kampala, Uganda
to
Enter a valid date range.

Honors and Awards

  • Pacific Eberhardt Teacher/Scholar Award, 2014
  • Outstanding Contribution from a Faculty Member, 2014

Courses

  • Development Economics
  • Director's Seminar, School of lnternational Studies
  • Econometrics
  • Economic Statistics
  • Economics of Housing
  • Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
  • Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
  • Introductory Macroeconomic Theory
  • Introductory Microeconomic Theory
  • Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
  • Mathematical Economics
  • Pacific Seminar-The Tragedy of Foreign Aid
  • Urban and Regional Economics

Education

to
1986 Ph.D., Economics, Binghamton University--SUNY
to
1982 M.A., Economics, Binghamton University--SUNY
to
1980 B.S., Business Administration and Economics, Wilkes University
to

Links

Contact Information

Office: George Wilson Hall 103
Phone: 209.946.2651

Email:

Articles (13)

Journal articles written by Dr. William E. Herrin.

Presentations (11)

Presentations, lectures, and posters given by Dr. William E. Herrin.