Scholars @ Work: Robert Kao

Dr. Kao received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and M.S. from the University of Nebraska in Applied Economics areas. His research topics include investment, financial derivatives, international economics, taxation, business analytics, digital economy, and economic development. Currently, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, and serves as Program Coordinators for Business Economics and International Business on the Parkville Campus. 

Dr. Kao has been teaching at Park University for 16 years and became a full Professor of Economics in 2023. His dedication includes curriculum developments, program reviews, and student engagement. He has developed the undergraduate core finance curriculum for the Certified Financial Planners Association with certification in financial counseling course. He helped the Economics program review, which was approved by the HLC accreditation. The current Business Economics BSBA program has also been reviewed and approved by the ASBSP. He led students overseas for a Short-Term Study Abroad Program. He also served on the FCI Advisory Board for several years and submitted a project for the Shark Tank evaluation. He received the ACUE Certificate of student success and led students to participate in the annual Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) League debate competitions.

He has several peer-reviewed academic articles, which have been published in domestic and international conferences. Serving as a book editor and coauthor for two economic development studies, he reviewed and published in journals and an international research institution. He serves as a manuscript reviewer for several Economics and Finance journals in addition to having served as a textbook chapter reviewer for a business analytics for college textbook publisher. He also serves as president of the Academy of Business Economics track of the Midwest Business Administration Association and the co-chair of the International Conference. Additionally, he has provided proponent testimonies for House Bills on the simplified taxation research for Missouri and Kansas State Houses in recent years.

His academic services have included roles as Chair and Program Coordinators for Economics, Finance, and International Business. During the pandemic years, his team successfully reviewed all curriculums to provide smooth transitions of effective modalities for students to continue their learning experiences. Currently, he serves as a regional secretary of the ACBSP Region 5, and previously served in its Risk Assessment & Management Committee. He finished the Pirates Rising Program for a leadership development platform and participated in the local community service on the Advisory Board of the Academy of Finance. Additionally, as a partner of the International Student Institute, he has supported many events to meet students’ education-related needs.