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Williams, assistant professor of economics, comes to ɫ����Ƶ from the University of Utah, where he was an assistant professor of finance. Williams has a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and earned a Ph.D. in economics from UC Davis in 2016.

When did you take an interest in economics?
Williams: First year of undergrad. I arrived undeclared, but knew about a month in to my first semester that I was going to be an economics major.

What attracted you to Occidental?
Williams: I always wanted to be back in California in a liberal arts setting. As an Oakland native, I feel at home among Dodgers fans who dislike the San Francisco Giants as much as I do.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?
Williams: If I say “the students” then they’ll think I’m a pushover. So I’ll say “coming up with insanely difficult test questions.”

How does it feel to join ɫ����Ƶ’s largest academic department? What are you teaching this fall?
Williams: My previous department had over 30 faculty so, despite the size within ɫ����Ƶ, this feels cohesive and welcoming. I’m teaching Game Theory this fall and will be teaching Applied Econometrics in the spring.

What are your current research interests?
Williams: I study the economics of higher education and try to understand how changing demographics impact student attainment.

Outside of work, what do you like to spend your time doing?
Williams: I’m an avid board game player and hope to start playing tennis again now that I'm back in California.