Hi

I am an Associate Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Lethbridge.  I am the Chair of the Economics Department and the Co-ordinator of the Agricultural Studies Program. 

I earned my B.A. (Honours) in Economics from Carleton University and my MSc and PhD in Agricultural Economics and Business from the University of Guelph.  I was hired at the University of Lethbridge in 1998 to fill a need for teaching, research and service pertaining to the newly created Agricultural Studies program. 

I am an enthusiast of the Austrian approach to the science of economics.  The Austrian method is grounded in methodological individualism which provides unparalleled insight into the subjective theory of value, the critical importance of private resource ownership and the spontaneous organizing effects of market processes.

My teaching responsibilities involve courses in agricultural systems modeling, commodity marketing, agricultural policy, microeconomics and others.  The general theme of my research is identifying, delineating and quantifying the effects of government interventionism in agricultural commodity markets in Canada.  Specifically, I have focussed on livestock production, marketing and trade, emerging markets for irrigation water in Southern Alberta, and the impact of renewable energy policies on Canadian agriculture. 

Beyond the University, I have served as an executive member of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society, the Alberta Agricultural Economics Association and the Tiffin Conference Organizing Committee.  I have been nominated twice for the Distinguished Teaching Award at the University of Lethbridge, and in 2004 and in 2008, I received the Agricultural Students Association Distinguished Teaching Award. 

I live in Lethbridge with my wife Julie and our two children, Nathan (8) and Sarah (4).