Teaching

I have taught six classes at the University of Oregon in antitrust, industrial organization, and public economics. As a graduate teaching fellow, I have also led discussion sections and served as a teaching assistant for a variety of courses. Below you can find course summaries, materials, and student feedback.

Antitrust Economics

EC 360: Issues in Industrial Organization

This course is designed to provide you with an introduction to industrial organization and its role in antitrust law. The relationship between industry structure and overall performance is examined, as well as the idea of what is desirable in market outcomes and how to improve flawed market outcomes. The first half of the class focuses on basic monopoly and antitrust, while the second half discusses more complex market structures. Throughout the course, we will tie theory to real, relevant court cases in the United States. The class will be approximately equal parts math, graphing, discussing laws, and discussing court cases.

Student comments:

  • “I learned the most from this economics course than other economics courses at UO. Brett really knows what he’s talking about and is always there to help his students.”
  • “Brett taught excellent throughout the term, enabling me to learn at my full potential compared to other previous economic classes that I have taken. He was extremely accommodating and inclusive for all students, taking the necessary time in and out of the classroom to make sure that everybody has the equal opportunity to understand the material to the best of their ability. I felt as if a different professor in this course would not have yielded the same amount of learning and progression that I have as a student of Brett’s during this course.”
  • “I typically have always struggled in my economics classes and found it very intimidating asking questions fearing the teacher would find the question stupid. Very rarely do professors create an environment that makes it easy for me to feel like I could ask them any question, yet Brett was one of the few who did exactly that. Brett created this environment by showing a degree of patience that most professors lack. By creating this environment, I felt motivated to reach out for clarification on material since I knew Brett was able to clearly and patiently explain concepts in a way that didn’t belittle me.”
  • “I find the material very interesting and he does an excellent job of making his lectures have a good pace and interesting topics.”
  • “Thank you for everything you did for me this term. You taught an amazing class completely remote! I find industrial organization very interesting and will definitely try and take the 400 level version of this class in the future.”

Industrial Organization

EC 460: Theories of Industrial Organization

Industrial organization is the study of the behaviors of firms and consumers in individual markets. This course covers the theory of industrial organization and includes quantitative measures and institutional descriptions of American and global industry. The course emphasizes the determinants and consequences of market power.

Student comments:

  • “Overall, the structure and format of this course was excellent. Each chapter was covered in-depth using varying mathematical and graphical models without losing a sense of the overall themes of industrial organization. The style of alternating lecture with interactive math and graph examples helped break the monotony found in a usual lecture formatted class while solidifying the concepts just taught.”
  • “Brett’s priority is that every student has a solid understanding of the material and will go out of his way to make that happen. There doesn’t seem to be any students in the class that are struggling to keep up with the material and that is amazingly impressive given that we are on an intensive 4 week schedule.”
  • “Brett taught in a clear and thoughtful manner that was easy to follow. He always answered any lingering questions with thouroughness and sought to make each student feel included within the classroom setting. Regardless of prior economic knowledge, Brett encouraged students to express their ideas to various questions thereby creating an interactive in-class dialogue, which created a more dynamic classroom experience.”

Public Economics

EC 340: Issues in Public Economics

In this course we develop and apply several tools to analyze public policy. Efficiency is a key concept and we study it in a variety of conditions: competitive markets, public goods, externalities, taxes, corruption, and more. By the end of the quarter you will be able to think critically about public issues from an economic perspective and improve your ability to analyze policy.

Discussion Instructor

EC 201: Introduction to Microeconomics

  • Spring 2017, Winter 2021 (online), Spring 2021 (online)

This course examines how consumers, firms, and governments make decisions when facing scarce resources and how those decisions affect market outcomes, such as prices and output.

Student comments:

  • “I think that Brett did an amazing job leading the discussion over this term. He was very specific and to the point when teaching and he was always very thorough in answering the questions asked in class.”

  • “Brett should be teaching this class, this guy is incredible at teaching and is very engaging. The economics department should offer him a job teaching as soon as possible.”

  • “Very helpful. He made me understand the material way better than if I were to do it myself. He hit the key parts of lecture in the discussion which helped me out a lot in understanding concepts for the class.”

  • “He was great at explaining our questions in depth. I left class always understanding something I didn’t know before.”

  • “The instructor was very helpful and maximized discussion time very well. He explained things well and was willing to work with students when they did not understand something.”

  • “I think he did a very good job with the class, and he helped me learn so much.”

  • “He did a great job and he was extremely helpful and ‘to the point’. Best Graduate Teaching Fellow.”

Discussion Instructor

EC 202: Introduction to Macroeconomics

  • Winter 2017, Winter 2019

This course examines the aggregate activity of a market economy, the problems that arise, such as inflation and unemployment, and how the government can use macroeconomic policy to address these problems.

Student comments:

  • “Brett was a fantastic instructor! He explained the information clearly and was very engaging with the class. I learned a lot in his discussion and would always leave with a better understanding of the topic.”

  • “Brett did an excellent job at explaining the curriculum we were learning. He provided lots of examples, and went slowly and clearly articulated the material. Brett did a great job at helping me better understand the curriculum. He was very effective in office hours and always responded to emails.”

  • “I really liked Brett as my section leader. He was always open to questions and/or repeating himself, and always available for help outside of class.”

  • “Brett led a great discussion section that gave us a better and deeper understanding of the material taught in class. I found discussions to be super helpful.”

  • “Worked in a manner that all students understand, which was a great environment to learn in. Very smart and articulate. Really enjoyed this discussion.”

  • “The leader is very reliable and trustworthy. He is very instructive and knows what he is doing. No areas of possible improvement.”

  • “Brett lays things out in a very easy way to understand and follow. He was able to break some of the more complex concepts down into easily digestible parts which were then easier to work through. You can tell that he really wants you to understand and succeed and he is willing to work with each student individually to ensure their needs are met.”

  • “Brett was super helpful during discussion. He guided the class through concepts in a clear and concise manner. Overall, my understanding of the class was much clearer thanks to Brett.”

Teaching Assistant

EC 333: Resource and Environmental Economics

  • Fall 2016, Fall 2018

  • Economic analysis of replenishable and nonreplenishable natural resources; environmental issues and policies.

EC 535: Natural Resource Economics

  • Fall 2018

  • Applications of economic theory and empirical methods to natural resources problems: ecosystems and renewable resources (land, water, fisheries, forests); exhaustible resources (energy, minerals).

EC 201: Introduction to Microeconomics (online)

  • Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Spring 2018

  • Examines how consumers, firms, and governments make decisions when facing scarce resources and how those decisions affect market outcomes, such as prices and output.

EC 202: Introduction to Macroeconomics (online)

  • Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Spring 2018

  • Examines the aggregate activity of a market economy, the problems that arise, such as inflation and unemployment, and how the government can use macroeconomic policy to address these problems.

EC 380: International Economics (online)

  • Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Spring 2018

  • Exchange across international boundaries, theory of comparative advantage, balance of payments and adjustments, international financial movements, exchange rates and international financial institutions, trade restrictions and policy.

EC 330: Urban Economics

  • Spring 2018

  • Topics include urban and metropolitan growth, land use, race and poverty, education systems, slums and urban renewal, transportation, crime, and pollution and environmental quality.

EC 421: Introduction to Econometrics II

  • Winter 2018

  • Application of classical statistical techniques of estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression to economic models.

EC 551: Labor Economics

  • Fall 2017

  • Topics include the determination of wages, employment, and unemployment; globalization and immigration; income inequality; internal labor markets; the role of unions; human capital, education, and schools.

EC 311: Intermediate Microeconomics

  • Fall 2016

  • Consumer and firm behavior, market structures. General equilibrium theory, welfare economics, collective choice, rules for evaluating economic policy.