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Economics Department

Bob Williams

Sulon Bibb Stedman Professor of Economics

Office

King-104B
+1 (336) 3162218
bwillia2@guilford.edu

Biography

Robert B. (Bob) Williams came to Guilford in the fall of 1982 as he accepted a one-year position. After that year, he left the College to teach at a neighboring institution. In the fall of 1987, he returned and accepted a tenure track position, which he has held since.

Although he enjoys teaching Introductory Macroeconomics, he is a microeconomist at heart. Over the years, he has developed such courses as Poverty, Power, and Policy; Environmental and Resource Economics; Economic History of the United States; Econometrics; and more recently, The Political Economy of Housing. In each of his classes, he encourages students to adopt the key conceptual models and apply them to their own research projects. He also encourages them to consider the role of race, class, gender, and systems of power as they examine their topics of interest. 

His research stems directly from his own teaching and learning. His first book, Greening the Economy: Integrating Economics and Ecology to Make Effective Change, resulted from his Environmental Economics class. Not only did he pull topics from his class lectures, but his students helped edit early drafts of the book. His second book, The Privileges of Wealth: Rising Inequality and Growing Wealth Divide, came from his anti-racism work at the College. He says he owes much to his colleagues with whom he has worked. His current book project, Funding White Supremacy: Federal Wealth Policy and Growing Racial Wealth Gap, owes a larger debt to these colleagues.

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ph.D., 1984
Economics
University of Denver, B.S. B.A., 1976
Economics, cum laude

Selected Scholarship

Professional Activities, 1978-2021:

  • (In press) Book Publication, Funding White Supremacy: Federal Wealth Policies and the Racial Wealth Gap. Cambridge University Press. 
  • June, 2022 Article Publication. “Federal wealth policy and the perpetuation of white supremacy. The Review of Black Political Economy, 49(2), 130-151.
  • January, 2022 Paper Presentation, “The ‘Black Second’: Intersection between (White) Progressivism and White Supremacy,” ASE at ASSA (online).
  • January, 2021 Paper Presentation, “Federal Wealth Policy and the Perpetuation of White Supremacy: Updated Evidence”, Association of Social Economics at ASSA, Chicago, IL.
  • January, 2021 Paper Presentation, “ COVID-19s: The Alternative Future to Implementing the Green New Deal (and more)”, URPE at ASSA, Chicago, IL.
  • January, 2020 Paper Presentation, ”The Reparations Bill: Adding Late Charges and Securing a Funding Source” NEA at ASSA, San Diego, CA. 
  • August, 2019 Paper Presentation, ”The Reparations Bill: Adding Late Charges and Securing a Funding Source” NEA /ASHE Freedom and Justice Conference, Albuquerque, NM. 
  • March, 2019 Paper Presentation. “Federal Wealth Policy and the Perpetuation of White Supremacy”, Eastern Economic Association Conference, New York, NY. 
  • January, 2019 Paper Presentation. “Intergenerational Legacies: Looking Beyond Reported Transfers”, ICAPE Conference, Decatur, GA.
  • January, 2019 Paper Presentation, “Federal Wealth Policy and the Perpetuation of White Supremacy”, NEA at ASSA, Atlanta, GA. 
  • November, 2018 Paper Presentation, ”Revisiting the Racial Wealth Gap: Cultural Differences or Racial Stratification”, Southern Economic Association Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • July, 2018 Chapter Publication, “Wealth Privilege: Reprising the Jim Crow System” in Intergenerational Responsibility in the 21st Century, Julia Puaschunder (ed.), Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press. 
  • April, 2018 Paper Presentation, “Wealth Privilege: The New Face of White Supremacy”, Western Social Science Association Convention, San Antonio, TX.
  • January, 2018 Paper Presentation, “Explaining the Racial Wealth Gap: Cultural Differences or Racial Stratification?” NEA at ASSA Conference, Philadelphia, PA. 
  • January, 2018 Paper Presentation, “Household Wealth: Inherited or Merited?” URPE at ASSA Conference, Philadelphia, PA; Awarded Honorable Mention for the Association for Social Economics’ Warrant Samuels Award for Best Conference Paper
  • December, 2017 Paper Publication, “Wealth Privilege and the Racial Wealth Gap: A Case Study in Economic Stratification”, Review of Black Political Economy. 44(3) 303-325.
  • October, 2017 Paper Publication, “Federal Wealth Policies in Support of Jim Crow: Using an Anti-Racist Perspective to Inform Political Economy”, American Review of Political Economy Conference Papers and Proceedings. 11(2), 137-149. 
  • August, 2017 Paper Presentation, “The College Debt Trap: Another Detour for Black and Latino Families?” ASHE / NEA Freedom and Justice Conference, New York, NY. 
  • April, 2017 Workshop Presentation, “What is the Color of Wealth? White (Supremacy)!”, White Privilege Conference 18, Kansas City, Mo.
  • January, 2017 Paper Presentation, “Federal Wealth Policies in Support of Jim Crow: Using an Anti-Racist Perspective to Inform Political Economy”, ICAPE Conference, Chicago, Il.
  • January, 2017 Book Publication, The Privileges of Wealth: Growing Inequality and a Widening Racial Gap, London, UK: Routledge Press.
  • January, 2016 Paper Presentation, “Twice as Hard for Half as Much: Wealth Privilege and the Racial Wealth Gap”, NEA at the ASSA Conference, San Francisco, CA.
  • December, 2015 Community Presentation, “The Racial Wealth Gap”, part of the Doing Our Work series on racism and white privilege. Congregational United Church of Christ Church, Greensboro, NC. 
  • March, 2015 Workshop Presentation, “The Color of Wealth and Opportunity”, Cross Systems Racial Equity Summit, International Civil Rights Center and Museum, Greensboro, NC.
  • January, 2015 Paper Presentation, “Jim Crow Revisited: White Supremacy, Federal Tax Policy, and Household Wealth”, NEA at the ASSA Conference, Boston, MA.
  • January, 2015 Paper Presentation, “Surviving the Storm:  Race, Resiliency, Privilege, and Household Wealth, 2007-2009”, NEA/URPE at the ASSA Conference, Boston, MA. 
  • March, 2014 Workshop Presentation, “White Privilege and the Color of Wealth”, White Privilege Conference 15, Madison, WI.
  • May, 2013 Chapter Publication, “What Does the Rising Tide Bring?” in Toward a Good Society in the Twenty-first Century: Principles and Policies, Nikolaos Karagiannis and John Marangos (eds.), New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
  • April, 2012 Workshop Presentation, “The Color of Wealth”, White Privilege Conference 13, Albuquerque, NM.
  • June, 2011 Paper Presentation, “What Does the Rising Tide Bring?: Impact on Household Wealth: 1989-2007”, USSEE 2011 Conference, East Lansing, MI.
  •  Paper Presentation, “Economic Resilience: Not Just Making the Economy Greener, But Including The Whole Rainbow” USSEE 2011 Conference, East Lansing, MI.
  • January, 2011 Paper Presentation, “Wealth Privilege and the Wealth Accumulation Process: A Preliminary Analysis”, URPE at the ASSA Conference, Denver, CO.
  • July, 2010 Book Publication, Greening the Economy: Integrating Economics and Ecology to Make Effective Change, London, UK: Routledge Press, 2010.
  • January, 2010 Paper Presentation, “Is There Wealth Privilege? Evidence from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances” URPE at ASSA Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  • October, 2002 Co-Facilitator, Beginning in Honors Workshop, National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference, Salt Lake, Utah.
  • Panel Discussant, “Small College Symposium: Utilizing the Results of the Most Recent Small College Honors Program Survey”, 37th Annual National Collegiate Honors Council Conference, Salt Lake, Utah.
  • July, 2001 Paper Presentation, “Understand Ecological Function: Insights into Past and Present Policies” Inaugural Conference of United States Society for Ecological Economics, Duluth MN.
  • June, 2001 Paper, “Seven Lessons Our Economic Policymakers Should Learn From Our Natural Systems” Ecospheres Conference Proceedings, Lincoln, NE.
  • October, 2000 Co-Chair, Beginning in Honors Workshop, National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
  • October, 1999 Small College Consultant, National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference, Consultant’s Lounge, Chicago, IL.
  • June, 1997 Paper Presentation “Assessing the Sustainability of Economic Development” Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai, China.
  • April, 1996 Paper Presentation, “Understanding Utility Demand for Demand-Site Management Programs: Market or Regulatory Pressures” Elon College Lecture Series, Elon College, NC.
  • March, 1996 Paper Co-Presenter, “Teaching Interdisciplinary at the First Year” Annual Conference for the Association of Integrative Studies, Phoenix, AZ.    
  • March, 1995 Report with Susan Haas, A Profile of North Carolina: Indicators of Sustainability, Environmental Resource Program, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, March 1995.
  • May, 1993 Paper “Market Exchange and Wealth Distribution: A Classroom Simulation” Journal of Economic Education Vol. 24 No. 4 Fall 1993 pp. 325-334.
  • Fall, 1993 Visiting Research Scholar, Environmental Resource Program, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Fall, 1993 Consultant to North Carolina Economic Development Board, Development of State Report Card on Economic Development, Raleigh, NC.
  • August, 1991 Expert Testimony, An Evaluation of the North Carolina Electric Utilities’ Cost Recovery and Incentive Reward Proposals, North Carolina Utilities Commission, North Carolina.
  • October, 1990 Expert Testimony and Consultant to Donnell Van Noppen, of the law firm Patterson, Harkavy, and Lawrence, Decision to grant Duke Power Company its Request for Need for the Lincolnton Combustion Turbine Generation Plant, North Carolina Utilities Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • May, 1990 Expert Testimony, The applicability of least cost resource planning to Durham’s water resource planning, Durham City Council, Durham, North Carolina.
  • August, 1988 Expert Testimony. Comparing Shearon Harris with the Scrubbed Coal Alternative: An Economic Inquiry into the Issue of “Allowable” Cost.  North Carolina Utilities Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • March, 1988 Report with Dr. Allin F. Cottrell “Comparing Shearon Harris with the Scrubbed Coal Alternative: An Economic Inquiry into the Issue of “Allowabe” Cost”.  Submitted to the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • October, 1988 Conference Coordinator “Working Your ESOP: A Seminar for Executives of ESOP Businesses” Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.
  • October, 1987 Workshop Coordinator “Identifying Departmental Objectives” Departments of Business Administration and Accounting, Love School of Business, Elon College, North Carolina.
  • September, 1987 Expert Testimony and Consultant to Michael Okun of Patterson, Harkavy, and Lawrence, National Labor Relations Board Arbitration, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • June,1987 Expert Testimony, Decision to Determine Allowable Costs of Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, North Carolina Utilities Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • May, 1987 Expert Testimony, Least Cost Energy Legislation, Energy Committee, North Carolina General Assembly, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • January, 1987 Consultant to Guilford College with Dr. Thomas Tiemann, A statistical analysis of the faculty salary structure.
  • December, 1986 Report with Dr. Allin F. Cottrell “Does Shearon Harris Make Economic Sense?: An Evaluation of the Costs of Shearon Harris and Its Alternatives” Submitted to the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • October, 1985 Paper Presentation “Inside the Labor-Managed Firm: A Theoretical Examination of Democratic Decision-Making and Profit-Sharing as They Affect Firm Behavior” Atlantic Economic Association Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • October, 1984 Paper Presentation “Teaching Democratic Management” National Employee-Ownership and Participation Conference, Greensboro, North Carolina.
  • October, 1984 Paper Presentation “An Application of the Exit-Voice Framework to Democratic Decision-Making” National Employee-Ownership and Participation Conference, Greensboro, North Carolina.
  • Summer, 1979 Report “An Economic Analysis of the Southern State Industrial Development Programs” Southern Economic Development Intern Program, (unpublished).
  • Summer, 1978 Article with Robert Hall “Case Study: Who’s Getting Rich in the New South,” Southern Exposure, Fall, 1978.

Courses Taught

Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Comparative Economic Systems
Democracy At Work
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
History of Economic Thought
Industrial Organization
Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
Managerial Economics, undergraduate
Managerial Economics, graduate
Poverty, Power, and Policy
Public Sector Economics
Research Methods
US Economic History
Econometrics
Data Analysis and Presentation
Home: The Political Economy of Housing
Economic Growth and Our Environment
Leaving The Cave
Our Common Future
Under Construction
Sustainable Living
Introduction to Environmental Studies