Courses Taught

UAPP 110, Changing the World: The Role of Public Policy Examines major policy issues confronting contemporary society and the basic concepts and strategies that are used to address them.  The purpose of this introductory course is to set the foundation for learning about the breadth, interconnectedness, complexity, and impact of public policy for citizens and groups within domestic and global communities 

UAPP 211/HLPR 211, Introduction to Public Health Provides an overview of public health by addressing the history; epidemiological principles; social and behavioral factors; and environmental, political, and medical care issues concerning public health practice. Explores the practicality of public health as it is portrayed through current events, case studies, and guest speakers.

UAPP 693, Economics in Public and Non-profit Sectors Introduces students to the field of microeconomics and develops the analytical tools derived from microeconomic theory. Examines the market system, market failure, government intervention in the economy, labor markets, firm production decisions, competition, industry structures, and the distribution of income. Students develop skills to critically analyze important economic topics and apply them to public issues, policies, and programs. Applications deal with a wide variety of topics, including antitrust policy, poverty, income inequality, the tax system, employment policy, and health insurance markets. The course is an online, asynchronous course.

UAPP 714, MPP Policy Capstone The capstone experience for MPP students that synthesizes and applies the knowledge and skills developed in the program with an integrative group project exploring a public policy problem faced by a real organization. Working in a team, students complete a client designed project advising them on an important policy question facing their organization.  The course also assists students in gaining additional professional skills as they prepare for their job search and professional policy-related career.

SPPA 621, Health Systems, Policy, and Economics Provides students with competencies in health care systems, including the organization, structure, and function of health care. Using basic concepts in microeconomic theory, students utilize economic models to understand health and health care issues in the US. It addresses supply and demand issues for health services, payment systems and health insurance, and the key actors in the health sector. It is a required course for the Master in Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Health Policy and Management. 

SPPA 704, Advanced Quantitative Methods Introduces students to causal inference in public policy analysis and social science research. Students will learn the theory and practice of econometric analysis. Specifically, they will learn how to implement experimental and nonexperimental research designs through such approaches as Difference-in-Differences, Regression Discontinuity, Instrumental Regressions, and Fixed Effects Estimators.

UAPP 709, Advanced Topics in Economics for the Public and Non-Profit Sectors Draws on economic principles to examine the reasons for and consequences of government intervention in the market with an eye towards understanding and critiquing public policies. Students learn about the management of the national economy to promote economic growth, measuring economic behavior to understand the macroeconomy, and how to finance the public sector. Students will examine how government can address market failures to improve the functioning of private markets and maximize social welfare with a variety of real-world examples ranging from addressing environmental degradation and redistributing income to regulating monopolies. The course concludes by focusing on the interaction of federal, state, and local spending and how it affects economic activity across space. 

Seattle University, Albers School of Business & Economics

ECON 2110 (formerly ECON 272): Introduction to Microeconomics: Examines theories and applications of the economic behavior of individual consumers and firms. Explores the allocation of resources through a price system, the role of public policy, and the social impact of economic decision.

ECON 4660 (formerly ECON 471): Public Finance: Develops tools necessary to evaluate the economic rationale, objectives, and consequences of government intervention in the market. Covers basic public finance principles, the taxing and spending activities of governments, and the effects of government policies on resource allocation and the distribution of income.

ECON 4680 (formerly ECON 478): Urban and Regional Economics: Introduction to how economists think about cities and regional economies.  Covers the causes and consequences of the interdependence of firms, individuals, households, and governmental units within the constrained space of urban areas. Explores why cities exist, patterns of residential and business locations, reasons for the growth and decline of cities, and issues of housing, education, transportation, poverty, economic development, and crime.

MBA 5220: Identifying and Accessing Markets: Introduces analytical skills to address the problem of launching a new company or product line. Introduces frameworks for evaluating competitive dynamics and market opportunities, as well as equips students with tools to develop financial forecasts and to assess both financial performance and exposure of a business to financial risk.

* I taught the Economics content only

UCOR 1630: Health Economics and Policy: Covers the U.S. health care sector through an exploration of the Affordable Care Act. Explores the production, distribution, and organization of health care services from a microeconomic perspective. Discusses insurance theory, market failures, and the role of government. Provides an introduction to comparative health care policy.

Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy

PPOL 700, PPOL 701: Thesis Workshop: Two semester course required of Master of Public Policy degree students. Students conduct original research on a policy-relevant problem under the direction of a thesis advisor.