Luis Gonzalez

Luis Gonzalez is an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Finance at Valdosta State University, where he has worked since 2010. His research focuses on labor economics, industrial organization, family economics, and econometrics, with a particular emphasis on income inequality, intergenerational transfers, and behavioral dynamics.

• Ph.D. in Economics, University of Kentucky
• M.S. in Economics, University of Kentucky
• B.A. in Economics, Georgetown College

His work explores the interplay of social factors and economic outcomes, including how income inequality and ethnic diversity influence state minimum wage policies, sibling spacing effects on fertility and human capital, and the role of parental resources in educational outcomes. He has published in journals like the Journal of Economic Studies and Global Economy and Finance Journal.

Recent publications (2019-2022) analyze parental investments in education, strategic game theory models, and minimum wage determinants. Collaborative studies frequently employ regression analysis and panel data from surveys like the Health and Retirement Study.

• Valdosta State University Graduate Faculty Membership (2011-2019)
• Rea & Lillian Steele Summer Grant (multiple periods: 2011-2013, 2015-2016, 2016-2018)
• Research Challenge Trust Fund II Gatton Doctoral Fellowship (2005-2007)
• Senior Economics Award, Georgetown College (2003)

Gonzalez has secured grants from the Rea & Lillian Steele Summer Grant program and presented his research at conferences including the Society of Business, Industry, and Economics (Destin, FL), Southern Economic Association (Washington, DC), and Missouri Valley Economic Association (Memphis, TN).