I am an Associate Professor and the Director of Undergraduate Programs in the School of Economics at Georgia Institute of Technology. I received my bachelors degree in economics from the University of Memphis in 2008 and my PhD in economics from the University of Wyoming in 2013. 

My research is primarily in the field of energy economics. I have a background in methods pertaining to applied microeconomics and econometrics, with both published and working papers that employ microeconomic theory, empirical analysis, and numerical simulation methods. I have a strong interest in environment and resource issues, particularly those that are energy related. Although I have published articles on environmental issues that are not energy related, the majority of my current research falls primarily within the field of energy economics. Specifically, the two main thrusts of my research might best be described as occurring 1) at the intersection of energy economics and environmental & natural resource economics, and 2) at the intersection of energy economics and industrial organization. Much of my early research was on natural gas markets and pipelines. More recently, most of my research has looked at economic issues related to renewable energy (e.g., wind and solar) and its effects on electricity markets.

Personal information: I was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Both my parents graduated from the University of Memphis. My dad is a retired investment banker. My mom earned her PhD in psychology from the U of M and taught psychology classes there as an adjunct professor for nearly 20 years. I graduated from Germantown High School in 1994. Before going back to school in 2004 and earning my PhD in economics in 2013, I spent several years after high school as a traveling musician (which basically translates to working in restaurants as a waiter/bartender... but that's a different story). Now, I am happily married to my amazing wife, Jamison Pike, whom I met while in graduate school at the University of Wyoming. She also has a PhD in economics from UWyo and works as an economic researcher at the CDC here in Atlanta. Thanks to her, I have a fun, beautiful step-daughter named Dylan. We live in Roswell, GA, which is a northern suburb of Atlanta.