Michael R. McWilliams

Michael R. McWilliams is the Michigan Forecasting Specialist at the Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics (RSQE) within the Department of Economics at the University of Michigan. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan and an M.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His work focuses on environmental and natural resource economics, public finance, and economic policy analysis.

At RSQE, he leads tax revenue projections for Michigan, contributes to local economic forecasts for Detroit, Oakland County, and Washtenaw County, and collaborates with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) on brownfield redevelopment impact assessments. His research explores land use change, vehicle emissions regulation, and ethanol mandates, with publications in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Energy Policy.

Michael has interned at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality and co-authored a seminal report on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s economic impacts. His expertise bridges academic research and applied economic analysis for public policy.