Farley Staniec
PhD, Duke University, 1991
MA, Duke University, 1988
BS, University of Delaware, 1986
My teaching philosophy reflects John Maynard Keynes' description of economics as "a method rather than a doctrine, an apparatus of the mind, a technique of thinking which helps its possessor to draw correct conclusions."
In every class, my primary goal is not for students to learn information but for them to develop their analytical skills and their 'toolkit' of economic concepts, and to become adept at applying these to a wide variety of issues or questions.
Students aren't taught a 'right' answer to questions, rather they are encouraged to employ the economic way of thinking to enhance their understanding of problems, derive potential solutions and assess their effectiveness.
Research areas:
Economics of higher education; Applied econometric models of individual choice behavior.
Current research topics:
- Determinants and implications of gender under-representation in choice of college major and occupation, focusing on women in STEM majors and men in elementary education.
- Effects of remedial course-taking on post-secondary achievement, retention and degree attainment.
