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Faculty & Staff

Menna Bizuneh
Assistant Professor Economics
Office:  Main 346, CSB
Phone:  320-363-5244

Degrees and Post-Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D.  Georgia State University
M.S.  University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign
B.S.  Georgia Institute of Technology
B.A.  Emory University

Teaching areas/Interests
Macroeconomics, International Finance, Monetary Theory and Policy, International Trade

Research Areas/Interests
International finance, Exchange Rate Regime Choices (in particular the sustainability of currency unions).  The effect of government spending on economic growth in African countries

Personal Information
N/A

 

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Dan Finn
Professor of Economics and Theology
Clemens Chair in Economics and the Liberal Arts
Office: Simons 248, SJU
320-363-3048

Degrees and Post Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D. and M.A., University of Chicago
B.S. St. John Fischer College

Vitae

Teaching Areas/Interest
Ethics and Economics, History of Economic Thought, Economics and Philosophy

Research Areas/Interest
Morality and markets, Ethics and International Trade, Power in Catholic Social Thought

Personal Information
Dan is a serious bridge player, loves to work with wood (he made his own kitchen table) and to garden.

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Michael Hemesath
Professor of Economics and President of Saint John's University
Office:  Quad 136, SJU

Degrees and Post Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D. Harvard
B.S. Saint John's University

Teaching Areas/Interests
International Economics, Health Economics, Transition Economics

Research Areas/Interests
Economics of Education, Transition Economics, Health Economcis

Personal Information:
Spouse:  Elizabeth Galbraith, Son: Cameron

 Louis Johnston
Associate Professor
Office: Main 333, CSB
Phone: 320-363-5683

Degrees and Post-Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D. and M.A., University of California, Berkeley
B.S., University of Minnesota

Teaching Areas/Interests
Macreconomics, Economic History, Economic Growth, Introductory Economics

Research Areas/Interests
Evolution of Minnesota's economy, U.S. output and productivity before 1930.  Contributor to textbooks:
a.  Robert Frank and Ben Bernanke, Principles of Economics, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2009 and 2012 (4^th and 5^th editions).
b.  Robert Frank and Ben Bernanke, Principles of Economics, Brief Edition McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2009 and 2011 (1^st and 2nd editions).

 Personal Information
Louis centers his life around his wife, Susan Riley (also a professor at CSB/SJU) and his children, Olivia and John. Besides family and economics, his passions are history, music (especially big band jazz) and trains.

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 Meg Lewis 
Associate Professor of Economics
Office:  Main 347, CSB
Phone: 320-363-5977

 Degrees and Post-Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D. and M.A., University of Maryland
B.A., College of William and Mary

Teaching Areas/Interests
Economics of Gender and Race, Labor Economics, Quantitative Methods in Economics/Econometrics, and History of Economic Thought

Reseach Areas/Interests
Evolution of the economics discipline and profession; effective pedagogy in the economics classroom; institutional and feminist economics.

Personal Information
Meg enjoys working with stained and fused glass, reading, and just hanging out with husband David and her four-legged guys - Simon, Ellery, and Homer -- in her home on the Mississippi River.

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Sucharita Sinha Mukherjee
Associate  Professor
Office:  Main 336, CSB
Phone:  320-363-5259

Degrees and Post Graduate Research Study
Ph.D., University of California-Riverside
M. Phil., Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research
M.S., University of Calcutta
B.S., St. Xavier's College

Teaching Areas/Interests
Economic Development, Asian Economies, Quantitative Methods and Econometrics
Gender and Development; Gender Issues in Asia; Feminist Economics

 Research Areas/Interests
Economic Development; Economics of Gender; Issues in Developing Countries; Asian Development

 Personal Information:
Loves to spend time with daughter Ahona, watch old classic movies and cooking.

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John Olson 
Professor of Economics
Office: Main 331, CSB
Phone: 320-363-5406

 
 Personal Website

Degrees and Post-Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D. and M.A. University of Rochester
B.A. DePauw University

Teaching Areas/Interests
Macroeconomics, Monetary Theory & Policy, and American Economic History

Research Areas/Interests
American Economic History: the economics of slavery and agriculture in the pre-Civil War South, 19th and 20th century monetary and financial history, 18th and 19th century U.S. economic growth, and student learning and assessment in economics.

Personal Information
John is an avid golfer which substitutes for his earlier more youthful exploits on the soccer and softball fields. Other interests include stamp collection and reading about economics, history, and politics. John's wife, Amy is a faculty member in the CSB/SJU Nutrition Department.

 

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Shrawantee (Dora) Saha
Assistant Professor
Office:  Main 338, CSB
Phone:  320-363-5882

 
Degrees and Post-graduate Research/Study
Ph.D., University of New Hampshire
M.A., University of New Hampshire
M.S./B.S., University of Calcutta, India

Teaching Areas/ Interests: 
Microeconomic Theory, Public Economics, Environmental Economics

Research Areas/Interests:
Her primary research interest is in the area of environmental regulations and their impact on innovation and technology adoption. She is also interested in the association between environmental regulations and environmental injustice related outcomes.  

Personal Information:
She is an outdoor person with a love of hiking mountains and wilderness.  She loves photography.

 

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Parker Wheatley
Department Chair/Associate Professor
Office: Main 335, CSB
Phone: 320-363-5917

Degrees and Post-Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
M.A. George Mason University
B.A. Sewanee-the University of the South

Teaching Areas/Interests
Introductory Economics, Market Structures and Firm Strategy, Industrial Organization and Public Policy, Financial Markets and Institutions, and Microeconomics Theory.

Research Areas/Interests
Recent research has focused heavily on household decision and consumption among low-income communities.  Other recent work includes study of the structure, pricing, and location of financial institutions that service low-income communities.  Past research has focused on a variety of topics in U.S. agriculture, including the role of organic food and the internet in these markets.

Personal Information
Parker enjoys spending time with his wife and son - bowling, watching birds, and enjoying the great weather in Central Minnesota.

 

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 Judy Eggert
CSB Office Manager
Office:  Main 343, CSB
Phone:  320-363-5383

Judy began work at CSB in 1982.  She was initially affiliated with the Home and Community Services Department and later she came to be the office manager for the Economics, Accounting, and Management departments.  She recently celebrated 41 years of marriage, has five sons and ten grandchildren.  She enjoys gardening and quilting but most of all spending time with her grandchildren.  A lifelong learner, Judy has taken courses at CSB over the years and currently is one course away from junior standing  

 Sue began work at St. John's University in 1978 and currently manages the offices for the departments of Accounting, Economics, and Management.  She has been married  30 years and has seen two sons graduate from SJU.  In her free time, Sue enjoys reading and camping but most of all, spending time with her grandchildren.  Once a breeder of Yorkies, Sue is now the owner of a delightful Border Collie.

Degrees and Post Graduate Research Study
Ph.D., Colorado State University
M.I.M., American Graduate School of International Management
B.A., University of Cincinnati

Teaching Areas/Interests
Environmental/Resource Economics, Economic Development, Comparative Systems, Environmental Studies

Research Areas/Interests
Sustainability and Sustainable Communities

Personal Information
Ernie retired in the spring of 2013.  Ernie enjoys community work, politics, world music, and hiking in Colorado.

Joe Friedrich

 Degrees and Post Graduate Reseach/Study
Visiting Scholar-London School of Economics
M.A. University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.A. Saint John's University

Personal Information
Joe retired in June 2009.  He continues to research in the areas of public policy, especially health care and enjoys keeping in touch with former students and colleagues.  He and his wife, Kathy, enjoy traveling, gardening, golfing, reading, and grandchildren.

Chuck Rambeck
Professor of Economics
Office: Simons 268, SJU
Phone: 320-363-3524

Degrees and Post-Graduate Research/Study
Ph.D. and B.A. University of Minnesota

 Teaching Areas/Interests
Microeconomic Theory, Quantitative Methods, International Theory/Policy, Introduction to Econometrics, Welfare Economics/Public Policy

Personal Information

Chuck retired in the spring of 2011.