James Dean

James Dean is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Western Carolina University (WCU), part of the College of Business and School of Economics, Management, and Project Management. His expertise lies in macroeconomics, monetary policy, and income mobility. Dean holds a Ph.D. in Economics from West Virginia University (2022), an M.A. from WVU, and a B.S. in Economics from Lubbock Christian University. He has published in journals like the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Institutional Economics, and Journal of Financial Economic Policy.

Education:

• PhD in Economics, West Virginia University (2022)
• MA in Economics, West Virginia University
• BS in Economics, Lubbock Christian University

Research Interests: Focuses on macroeconomic policy, unconventional monetary policies (e.g., quantitative easing), income mobility dynamics, and econometric methodology. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of real-world economic challenges.

Teaching: Instructs courses in macroeconomics, banking, and econometrics at WCU, North Dakota State University, and WVU. Courses include ECON232 (Introductory Macroeconomics), ECON331 (Money and Banking), and ECON343 (Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory).

Professional Background: Prior academic roles include teaching at WVU and NDSU. Active in research with recent publications addressing economic freedom impacts on income mobility, Taylor Rule efficacy, and Canadian poverty dynamics. Maintains an active GitHub profile with academic website development work.