{"id":5,"date":"2016-08-26T14:55:05","date_gmt":"2016-08-26T14:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/curriculum-vita\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T15:54:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T19:54:32","slug":"curriculum-vita","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/faculty-name\/curriculum-vita\/","title":{"rendered":"Curriculum Vita"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>Complete CV<a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/files\/2016\/08\/current.pdf\"> pdf here<\/a>.<\/h2>\n<h2>Education<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Boston University, Ph.D in Economics, 2003<\/li>\n<li>Boston University, M.A.. in Political Economy, 2000<\/li>\n<li>University of Virginia, B.A. in Economics &amp; Spanish, with distinction, 1996.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Professional Experience<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Gimelstob-Landry Distinguished Professor of Regional Economic Development, Western Carolina University (2016-current)<\/li>\n<li>Associate Professor (2012-2016; with tenure 2014-2016), Associate Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (2013-2016), Assistant Professor (2010-2012), Providence College<\/li>\n<li>Visiting Lecturer in Economics, Wellesley College (2009-2010)<\/li>\n<li>Assistant Professor of Economics, Mercer University (2007-2009)<\/li>\n<li>Assistant Professor of Economics, Clemson University (2002-2007)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Professional Memberships<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Editorial Board member, Eastern Economic Journal (2013-current)<\/li>\n<li>Editorial Board member, Economics of Education Review (2014-current)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Publications<\/h2>\n<h3>Journal Articles<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">\n<li>\u201cClassroom Diversity and Academic Performance,\u201d Economic Inquiry, forthcoming.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEffects of State Contraceptive Insurance Mandates\u201d with Anca Grecu, Economics and Human Biology, February 2017, 24: 30-42.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cKnowledge Decay Between Semesters,\u201d with Rey Hern\u00e1ndez and Kurt Rotthoff, Economics of Education Review, February 2016, 50: 63-74.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cReligiosity and State Welfare,\u201d with Rey Hern\u00e1ndez, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, August 2014, 104: 37-51.<br \/> Discussed in \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/article\/2532565\">Study: Catholic sex-abuse scandals boosted Democratic rolls<\/a>,\u201d Washington Examiner, July 1, 2013.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cSexual Violence Against Women and Labor Market Outcomes,\u201d with Joe Sabia and Jeff DeSimone. American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings. May 2013, 103(3): 274-278.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cCatholic Schools, Competition, and Public School Quality,\u201d with Juliana F. Carratini, Sean E. Mulholland, and Rachel B. Sederberg. Economics Letters, 117(1), October 2012, 334-336.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cNegative Publicity and Catholic Schools,\u201d with Rey Hern\u00e1ndez, Economic Inquiry, 50(1), January 2012, 143-152.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cRecess, Physical Education, and Elementary School Student Outcomes,\u201d with Hillary Morgan and Kurt Rotthoff (invited), Economics of Education Review, 30(5), October 2011, 889-900.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMore Choice, Less Crime,\u201d with Rey Hern\u00e1ndez, Education Finance and Policy, 6(2), Spring 2011.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cA Comparative Look at Private and Public Schools\u2019 Class Size Determinants,\u201d with Sean E. Mulholland, Education Economics, 18(4), December 2010, 435-454.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cSocial Host Liability and Under-aged Drunk-driving Accidents\u201d Journal of Health Economics, 29(2), March 2010, 241-249.<br \/> Quoted on the topic \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\/2014\/10\/29\/fewer-teens-drink-at-parties-in-communities-with-social-host-laws.html\">Fewer teens drink at parties in communities with \u2018social host laws\u2019\u201d <\/a>Reuters, October 29, 2014.<br \/> Summarized for the New York Times\u2019s Room for Debate on June 17, 2010 as \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com\/2010\/06\/17\/should-parents-be-jailed-when-kids-drink\/?_r=0#angela\">Making Hosts Responsible\u201d:<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhat do Economists Know about Crime?\u201d with Jeff Miron and Garrett Summers, in The Economics of Crime: Lessons for &amp; from Latin America, Rafael Di Tella, Sebastian Edwards, and Ernesto Schargrodsky, eds., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. Also NBER WP#13759, January 2008.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cTeacher Attitudes and Teacher Knowledge in Economic Education,\u201d with Dennis Placone, Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research, 9(3), 2008, 15-28.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cCourse Scheduling and Academic Performance,\u201d with Rey Hern\u00e1ndez, Economics of Education Review, December 2008, 27, 646-654.<br \/> Discussed in \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/chronicle.com\/daily\/2008\/12\/8694n.htm\">Late to Rise Seems to Make Students Wise<\/a>,\u201d Chronicle of Higher Education, Tuesday, December 16, 2008, Today\u2019s News, by David Glenn.<br \/> Discussed in \u201cSleepy youths have science on side,\u201d Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 29, 2008, by Maureen Downey.<br \/> Discussed in \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/2016\/02\/17\/university-decides-eliminate-8-am-classes\">No More 8 a.m. Classes<\/a>,\u201d InsideHigherEd.com, February 17, 2016<\/li>\n<li>\u201cTransfer College Quality and Student Performance,\u201d with Rey Hern\u00e1ndez, Eastern Economic Journal, 34(2), April 2008, 172-189. Also, CHERI working paper #98<\/li>\n<li>Discussed in \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/insidehighered.com\/news\/2006\/12\/04\/outcome\">Tough Questions for Transfer Students<\/a>,\u201d Inside Higher Education, December 4, 2006 by Paul D. Thacker<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe Effect of Alcohol Prohibition on Alcohol Consumption: Evidence from Drunkenness Arrests,\u201d with Mireille Jacobson and Jeffrey A. Miron, Economics Letters, February 2005, 86(2), 279-294.<br \/> Reprinted in John H. Cawley and Donald S. Kenkel, eds., The Economics of Health Behaviours, June 2008.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDoes Cream-Skimming Curdle the Milk? A Study of Peer Effects,\u201d Economics of Education Review, February 2005, 19-28.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDo Parents Value Changes in Test Scores? High Stakes Testing in Texas,\u201d Contributions to Economic Analysis and Policy, Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 10, 2004.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAlcohol Prohibition and Cirrhosis,\u201d with Jeffrey Miron, American Law and Economics Review, Fall 2004, Vol. 6(2), 285-318. Also NBER WP#9681, May 2003.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Presentations<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">\n<li>2017-2018: Lilly Conference on Teaching in Asheville, NC (scheduled); Southern Economic Association in Tampa, FL (scheduled)<\/li>\n<li>2016-2017: Southern Economic Association in Washington, DC; Eastern Economic Association in New York, NY; Association of Private Enterprise and Education in HI<\/li>\n<li>2015-2016: discussant at Southern Economics Association in New Orleans, LA; Eastern Economic Association in Washington, D.C.; IHS &amp; Texas Public Policy Foundation Conference on the Economics of Education; guest lecturer in DWC Colloquium \u201cHooked: The Stories Behind Drug Use In Western Culture\u201d<\/li>\n<li>2014-2015: Southern Economics Association in Atlanta, GA; discussant and chair at ASSA meetings in Boston, MA.<\/li>\n<li>2013-2014: University of Colorado-Denver; Southern Economic Association in Tampa, FL; Public Choice Society Meetings, Charleston, SC; West Virginia University; IHS &amp; Mercatus Center Conference on \u201cHealthcare Policy and the Regulatory State\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>2012-2013: SEA, New Orleans, LA; National Bureau of Economic Research conference on Religion and Culture, Eastern Economic Association, New York, NY<\/li>\n<li>2011-2012: Association of Education Finance and Policy, Boston, MA; Eastern Economic Association, Boston, MA; Seton Hall University guest lecturer in \u201cEconomics and Liberty\u201d class; \u201cSchool Choice\u201d presentation to the Free State Project, discussant at SEA, Washington DC<\/li>\n<li>2010-2011: SEA, Atlanta, GA<\/li>\n<li>2009-2010: SEA, San Antonio, TX; Wellesley College brown bag seminar; Seton Hall University guest lecturer in \u201cEconomics and Liberty\u201d class; discussant at IZA\u2019s second annual conference on the economics of risky behaviors, Stone Mountain, GA.<\/li>\n<li>2008-2009: Latin American meeting of the Econometric Society\/Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association meeting, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<\/li>\n<li>2007-2008: SEA, New Orleans, LA (2); ASSA, New Orleans, LA<\/li>\n<li>2006-2007: SEA, Charleston, SC (2); Lafayette College; Wake Forest University; Drew University; Fairfield University; Cornell College; Clemson School of Education; Mercer University; University of Colorado \u2013 Denver; AEFA, Baltimore, MD<\/li>\n<li>2005-2006: APPAM, Washington, D.C.; SEA, Washington, D.C. (2); Rutgers University \u2013 Camden; Baruch College (CUNY); Clemson University Brown Bag Lunch<\/li>\n<li>2004-2005: University of Georgia; Clemson University Brown Bag Lunch; Appalachian State University; Southern Economic Association, New Orleans, LA (2); ASSA Meetings, Philadelphia, PA; University of South Florida; AEFA, Louisville, KY<\/li>\n<li>2003-2004: Clemson University Brown Bag Lunch; SEA, San Antonio, TX; Clemson University; University of South Carolina; AEFA, Salt Lake City, UT; AERA, San Diego, CA<\/li>\n<li>2002-2003: Appalachian State University<\/li>\n<li>2001-2002: Clemson University; Santa Clara University; UC-San Diego; Bureau of Labor Statistics; Louisiana State University; University of Guelph; CNA Corporation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Additional Professional Activities<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cDose of Reality: The Effect of State Marijuana Legalizations\u201d with Sietse Goffard and Jeffrey Miron. September 2016. Cato Policy Analysis No. 799: https:\/\/object.cato.org\/sites\/cato.org\/files\/pubs\/pdf\/pa799.pdf.<br \/> Discussed in Bagri, Neha Thirani. \u201cWhat Happens to Marijuana Use when States Legalize it?\u201d September 28, 2016, Quartz. http:\/\/qz.com\/794153\/what-happens-to-marijuana-use-when-states-legalize-it\/<br \/> Discussed in NORML. \u201cReport: Marijuana Legalization Has Had \u201cMinimal\u201d Adverse Impact On Health\u201d September 29, 2016, The Daily Chronic. http:\/\/www.thedailychronic.net\/2016\/62797\/report-marijuana-legalization-minimal-adverse-impact-health\/<br \/> Our Op-Ed in the Boston Herald, \u201cExperience Shows Little Impact on Safety,\u201d October 24, 2016. http:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/opinion\/op_ed\/2016\/10\/dills_goffard_and_miron_experience_shows_little_impact_on_safety<br \/> Our blog post for Cato, \u201cCommon Myths About Marijuana Legalization,\u201d November 4, 2016. https:\/\/www.cato.org\/blog\/common-myths-about-marijuana-legalization<\/li>\n<li>\u201cGovernment Policy and Tuition in Higher Education\u201d with Rey Hernandez and Nathan Hale. Dec. 2013. White paper for the Mercatus Center: http:\/\/mercatus.org\/publication\/government-policy-and-tuition-higher-education<\/li>\n<li>Testimony in Support of the Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act (S510\/H 5777), April 2015<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEmbrace the \u2018green economy\u2019\u201d op-ed for Providence Business News, Feb. 22-28, 2016, p. 29.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Grants and Awards Received<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Excellence in Research Award, WCU College of Business, Spring 2017<\/li>\n<li>Summer Research Grant from WCU\u2019s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise, Summer 2017<\/li>\n<li>Grant from Koch Foundation for Spring 2011 Guest Speakers. Renewed for 2011-2016 school years.<\/li>\n<li>Grant from Wellesley\u2019s Mildred McAfee Horton Faculty Award Fund, 2009-2010, for \u201cMedical conferences and deaths,\u201d $3,000<\/li>\n<li>Clemson\u2019s National Scholars Program Award of Distinction (for student mentoring), 2007<\/li>\n<li>Clemson\u2019s College of Business and Behavioral Science, Summer Mini-Grant, 2006, $3,000<\/li>\n<li>National Council on Economic Education (co-PI Dennis Placone), 2005-2006, $24,999<\/li>\n<li>Clemson University Department of Economics Research Grant Seed Money, 2005, $2,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions\/131"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/akdills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}