STEVE TROST
Department of Economics
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, WI 53706
Email: strost2@wisc.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/stevetrost/home
Education
Ph.D., Economics, University of Virginia, 2006
Dissertation: “An Examination of Corporate Charitable Contributions: Evidence from Firm, Managerial, and Community Factors.”
M.A., Economics, University of Virginia, 2001
M.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles, 1997
B.A. (with Honors), Economics, Oberlin College, 1995
Current Research Interests
Undergraduate Economics Education, Charitable Giving, Applied Microeconomics, Economics of Gender and Race
Work Experience
Senior Lecturer, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2022-present.
Collegiate Assistant Professor of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2017-2022
Advanced Instructor of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2013-2017
Instructor of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2009-2013
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2007-2009
International Economist, U.S. International Trade Commission, 2005-2007
Senior Associate, LECG, Inc., 1997-1999
Research Assistant, The Urban Institute, 1996-1997
Honors and Awards
Named an Honored Instructor by the Students of UW-Madison, Fall 2022 and Fall 2024
Sporn Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Courses, Virginia Tech, 2021
Outstanding Faculty Service Award, Virginia Tech Department of Economics, 2020
Principles Teacher of the Year, Virginia Tech Department of Economics, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017
Favorite Faculty Member, Virginia Tech Housing and Residence Life, 2010, 2012, 2015
“Outstanding Faculty Member,” Panhellenic community at Virginia Tech, 2012, 2013, 2016
“Teacher of the Week,” Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research, Virginia Tech, Fall 2016
DuPont Fellowship, University of Virginia, 2004-2005
Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Bankard Fund for Political Economy, 2003-2004
President’s Fellowship, University of Virginia, 1999-2002
Hansen Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Economics, Oberlin College, 1994
Working Papers and Publications
[1] “The Effect of Homework on Exam Performance: Experimental Results from Principles of Economics,” (with Djavad Salehi-Isfahani), Southern Economic Journal, vol. 79, no. 1, 2012.
[2] "Gender, Risk Aversion, Confidence, and the “COVID” Grading Option in a Principles of Economics Course," (with Jadrian Wooten) Applied Economics Letters, 10 May, 2023.
[3] “Nudges and Flu Vaccination Uptake” (with Sheryl Ball and Esha Dwebi), working paper, 2021
[4] “Expectations and Performance in Principles of Economics,” Working Paper, 2020, in progress.
[5] “Crowding Out in Corporate Charitable Giving,” Working Paper, 2008
[6] “The Role of Managerial Compensation in Determining Levels of Corporate Charitable Giving,” Working Paper, 2006.
[7] “The Effects of Increasing Chinese Demand on Global Commodity Markets” (Co-author, USITC Staff Research Study). USITC Publication 3864, June 2006.
[8] “Explaining Drops in Charitable Giving in the Post-War Era,” Working Paper, 2005.
Teaching Experience
Principles of Microeconomics (large lectures), Virginia Tech and UW-Madison, 2007-present
Principles of Macroeconomics (large lectures), UW-Madison, 2023-present
Economics of Race in the U.S., UW-Madison, 2023-present.
Principles of Microeconomics (small classes) University of Virginia, 2002-2004
Principles of Macroeconomics (small classes) University of Virginia, 2002-2004
Teaching Assistant for the following: Graduate Probability and Statistics, Intermediate Microeconomics, Game Theory, Industrial Organization, Introduction to Statistical Analysis, and Economics of Health, University of Virginia, 1999-2002
Professional Activities
Contributing Author:
McEachern, Will (2019): ECON, Micro, 6th Edition. Cincinnati: South-Western/Cengage
McEachern, Will (2019): ECON, Macro, 6th Edition. Cincinnati: South-Western/Cengage
Hawdon, James, Matthew Costello, and Bryan Lee Miller, Editors (2022): Marijuana in America: Cultural, Political, and Medical Controversies. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO (Author of two articles: “Economic Effects of Operation Intercept” and “Allen Ginsburg’s ’Howl’: Controversy as Advertising”)
Presenter:
“Expectations and Performance in Principles of Economics”
Conference on Teaching and Research in Economics Education, 2018
“Teaching More with Less: Managing Very Large Classes with Scarce Resources.”
Conference on Teaching and Research in Economics Education, 2016
Conference on Teaching Large Classes, 2016
“Assessing the Effect of Online Homework on Exam Performance: A Large Sample Size Experiment.”
American Economic Association Annual Meetings, 2010
Southern Economic Association Annual Meetings, 2009
“Crowding Out in Corporate Charitable Giving”
American University Workshop Series, October 2006
Miami University Workshop Series, October 2006
Southern Economic Association Annual Meetings, November 2005
University of Virginia Workshop Series, October 2004
Session Chairperson:
Southern Economic Association Annual Meeting, 2009
Session Title: Student Performance
Discussant:
Conference on Teaching and Research in Economics Education
Session Title: Classroom Exercises and Experiments, June 2018
Session Title: Measuring Student Learning, June 2016
Southern Economic Association Annual Meetings
Session Title: Economic Behavior, November 2009
Session Title: Antidumping Issues, November 2006
Session Title: Antidumping Petition Filings and Outcomes, November 2005
Session Title: Guns, Drugs, and Crime, November 2004
Referee:
Southern Economic Journal, Journal of Cultural Economics, Journal of Economics Education
Service
Department:
DEI Committee, Department of Economics, UW-Madison, 2023-present.
Undergraduate Director, Department of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2018-2019
Principles of Economics Coordinator, Virginia Tech, 2007-2022
Teaching Advisor for Graduate Instructors of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2007-2022
Member of Undergraduate Committee, Virginia Tech, 2019-2022
Member of Diversity Committee, Virginia Tech, 2021-2022
Career Advisor, Department of Economics, Virginia Tech, 2008-2022
Director of the Economics Tutoring Center, Virginia Tech, 2009-2022
Faculty Advisor for the Economics Club at Virginia Tech, 2015-2019
Chair of Search Committee for Collegiate Faculty hire in Data and Decision Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2017
Co-Chair of Search Committee for Collegiate Faculty hire in Online Teaching, Virginia Tech, 2018
Representative for the Department of Economics at the First Annual LIKES (Living in the KnowlEdge Society) Conference, Virginia Tech, 2008
College/University:
Member of the Academy of Teaching Excellence at Virginia Tech, 2020-2022
Affiliated Faculty for the Program in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Virginia Tech, 2017-2022.
Representative for the Department of Economics on the College of Science Curriculum Committee, Virginia Tech, 2017-2022.
Representative for the College of Science on the University Athletics Committee (UAC), Virginia Tech, 2016-2019
Chair of the Equity and Diversity Subcommittee of the UAC, Virginia Tech, 2016-2017, 2018-2019
Senior Fellow for the Residential College at West Ambler Johnston, Virginia Tech, 2012-2014 and 2016- 2019
Designated as an LGBTQU+ “Safe Zone,” Virginia Tech, 2011-2022
Faculty Advisor, Virginia Tech Skateboarding Club, 2007-2008
Representative for Virginia Tech at the First Annual Clicker Conference, 2008
Research Advising
Mehmet Altin, Masters in Hotel and Hospitality Management, Virginia Tech, 2011