Welcome to our final edition of #TeachingTuesday for the 2021-2022 academic year. This week we catch up with Professor Eric Brunner!
Question 1: Why did you decide to become a professor?
I joined the army after high school and then returned to go to college at UConn. While an undergraduate I took intermediate microeconomics from a fabulous professor and found a real passion for economic analysis and its application to public policy. As a result, I decided to get my PhD.
Question 2: What are your teaching interests?
I have pretty broad teaching interests but some of my favorite classes are microeconomics, policy analysis, and causal inference.
Question 3: Why did you decide to come to UConn?
Bill Simonsen and Mark Robbins recruited me and who can say no to those two?
Question 4: If you weren’t a professor what would you be instead and why?
I would be a Department of Environmental Protection Ranger and spend my days in the woods, on the lakes and in the hills of CT.
Question 5: What is your favorite thing about Hartford?
I love the fact that the city is small enough to walk completely around yet large enough to sport such diversity.
Question 6: If you could travel to any location right now where would you like to go and why?
I would love to return to Bahia de los Angeles along the Gulf of California in Baha Mexico. Bahia de los Angeles is a remote place in the desert along the shores of the Gulf of California about 500 miles south of San Diego. There is not much there other than beautiful water, lots of sun and marine life and glorious dark skies full of stars at night. Just catch your own fish every day and make fish tacos!