ECU’s Harriot College announces Department of Economics chair
Tisha Emerson will be joining East Carolina University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences on July 1 as the James E. and Constance Paul Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Economics.
“Dr. Emerson has shown great interest and enthusiasm throughout her engagement with ECU, and I am very excited to welcome her to this leadership role,” saidAllison S. Danell, dean of the Harriot College.
Tisha Emerson will begin her new role as chair of the Department of Economics on July 1. (Contributed photo)
“I’m excited to join the economics department,” Emerson said. “They are such a productive and collegial group. They also care deeply about students. So, I look forward to having the opportunity to help them build on such a solid foundation.”
Emerson is an accomplished and award-winning professor who has worked with Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business for more than 20 years. Her primary research focuses on the efficacy of active learning techniques in promoting student learning in economics and on understanding and addressing the lack of gender and racial/ethnic diversity in economics. Her research has been published in nearly 30 journal articles and several book chapters.
“An understanding of economics is fundamental to being a productive and engaged citizen,” Emerson said. “Thus, one of my main goals is to work with members of the department to increase the exposure of ECU students to economics. This includes increasing the number of students who take introductory economics — perhaps as part of their general education courses — as well as growing the major in terms of numbers and diversity of students.”
While Emerson is dedicated to teaching and frequent study abroad opportunities, she will not be teaching during her first year at ECU. Emerson said she will be “thinking carefully about what courses she may offer to best supplement and extend the current economics course offerings.”
In addition to her teaching and scholarly research, Emerson shares her knowledge and expertise through visiting scholar roles as well as professional society membership and leadership. She is chair-elect of the of the American Economic Association’s Committee on Economic Education (AEA-CEE) in anticipation of becoming chair in January. Related to her work with the AEA-CEE, Emerson is a facilitator for EDUCATE (Expanding Diversity in Undergraduate Classes with Advancements in the Teaching of Economics) and will be mentoring economics faculty as they adopt active learning strategies in their courses during the 2023-24 academic year.
Over the past year, Nicholas G. Rupp, professor of economics, has served as interim department chair. Danell expressed her appreciation for Rupp’s service and leadership in the role.
“Nick has done a great job this year,” Danell said. “I have found him to be a thoughtful and attentive colleague with a strong collaborative mentality. I know his leadership is and will continue to be valuable in the department.”
In addition to Emerson, Danell announced that two professors previously serving interim chair roles will step into the role of chairperson for their respective departments on July 1. Lida Cope, professor of English, moves into the role of chairperson for the Department of English, and Tim Jenks, associate professor of history, will be chairperson for the Department of History.