Gregory Colson

2020 D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence In Teaching

Gregory Colson
Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

A member of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences  faculty since 2009, Colson's research typically uses economic experiments or surveys, exploring consumer and producer decision-making related to agriculture, energy and the environment. Colson teaches microeconomic theory at the undergraduate and graduate levels, a graduate course titled ”Survey Design and Experimental Economics,” and a First Year Odyssey course called “Experimental Economics.” Recognizing that many students struggle with economic theory and don’t feel a connection with the concepts, Colson has developed hands-on experiments and games for his classes to reinforce the material and give students a tangible experience to complement the theory. Examples include making purchase decisions in a simulated food store — with real Krispy Kreme doughnuts — to learn about the concept of elasticity and the experimental dilemma of hypothetical bias; making management decisions to earn profits in a student-simulated factory to learn about input costs and production functions; and testing the Coase Theorem by trying, as a class, to negotiate for Colson to stop loudly playing an annoying song. Students find that his combination of lectures, experiments, and newspaper and journal articles make economic theory approachable and even fun. In his 11 years at the college, Colson has been recognized with multiple teaching awards, including the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics’ graduate teaching award in 2011, 2014 and 2018 and the college's 2019 early career teaching award.