James West

Professional Summary

James West is currently the holder of W.H. Smith Chair and Professor of Economics.  He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan with fields in public finance and econometric theory.  He is a research associate in the Economics of Education Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

Prior to joining the Baylor faculty in 2011, he was a faculty member at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Seattle University.

Education

• 1994 – PhD, Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 1989 – MA, Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 1987 – BA, Economics, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado

Courses

• ECO 3306 – Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis
• ECO 4320 – Economics of Government
• ECO 4347 – Econometrics
• ECO 5320 – Economics of Government
• ECO 5347 – Econometric Theory and Methods

Research Interests

• Economics of Education
• Peer Effects
• Public Policy
• Applied Microeconomics

Selected Publications

• Bradley, S.W., Garven, J.R., Law, W., and West, J.E. (2022, May) The Impact of Chief Diversity Officers on Diverse Faculty Hiring, Southern Economic Journal
• Carrell, S.E., Hoekstra, M., and West, J.E. (2019) The Impact of College Diversity on Behavior Toward Minorities, American Economic Journal:  Economic Policy
• Carrell, S.E., Sacerdote, B.I., and West, J.E. (2013) From Natural Variation to Optimal Policy?  The Importance of Endogenous Peer Group Formation, Econometrica
• Carrell S.E., and West, J.E. (2010) Does Professor Quality Matter?  Evidence from Random Assignment of Students to Professors, Journal of Political Economy
• Carrell, S.E., Page, M.E., and West, J.E. (2010) Sex and Science:  How Professor Gender Perpetuates the Gender Gap, Quarterly Journal of Economics