National Economics Teaching Association
Meet Our Board Members
Meet our board members. Most have served NETA since its inception and have also served as presented on numerous occassions at our annual economics teaching conferences.
Mark Holmgren
Board Member - Professor of Economics and Department Advisor at Eastern Washington University. A dedicated teacher and scholar, Dr. Holmgren brings an applied, real-world approach to economics, helping students connect economic concepts to everyday decisions, business behavior, public policy, and regional issues. His scholarly work includes research on teaching and learning, student success, transportation, and the economics of recreation and tourism, including studies of ski resort demand and season-pass choices. His work in and out of the classroom reflects a deep commitment to making economics useful, accessible, and engaging for students.
Madelyn Young
Board Member (Emeritus) - professor of economics at Converse College. and a Board Member, Emeritus of the National Economics Teaching Association. Although she recently stepped down from the NETA board, she remains close to the organization and continues to be part of the community that has helped shape NETA’s work over the years. Her longstanding involvement reflects a deep commitment to economics education, collegial collaboration, and the shared effort to make economics teaching more creative, engaging, and effective for students.
Linda Ghent
Board Member (Emeritus) - Linda Ghent is Professor Emerita of Economics at Eastern Illinois University and a Board Member Emeritus of the National Economics Teaching Association. Although she has retired from the university and stepped down from the NETA board, she remains closely connected to the organization and continues to share in its vision for creative, engaging, and student-centered economics teaching. Dr. Ghent is especially known for her work on The Economics of Seinfeld, which helps students see economics in the ordinary, awkward, and hilarious situations of everyday life. She is also currently working with Alan Grant on a forthcoming book, The Game Theory of Thrones, which explores the strategic choices, alliances, rivalries, and conflicts of Game of Thrones through the lens of game theory. Her continued connection to NETA reflects her lasting contributions to the organization and her ongoing commitment to helping instructors bring economics to life for their students.
James Hornsten
President - Professor of Instruction in the Department of Economics at Northwestern University. His teaching and research interests include economic education, industrial organization, monopoly, competition, and public policy, with a particular focus on helping students use economic reasoning to understand how markets and institutions work. He serves on the American Economic Association’s Committee on Economic Education and on the board of the National Economics Teaching Association, and he has helped organize several national conferences devoted to the teaching of economics. Through his work at Northwestern and in the broader economics teaching community, Professor Hornsten brings together scholarly rigor, practical application, and a deep commitment to undergraduate learning.
Charles Newton
Board Member - Professor of Economics at Houston City College, formerly Houston Community College, where he has been a longtime member of the economics faculty. He has taught a wide range of economics courses, including Introduction to Economics, Principles of Macroeconomics, and Principles of Microeconomics, helping students connect economic ideas to public policy, business decisions, and everyday life. A dedicated classroom teacher and colleague, Professor Newton brings practical experience, institutional knowledge, and a strong commitment to student learning to his work.
Richard Gosselin
Board Member - Professor of Economics at Houston City College, formerly Houston Community College, and the founding president of the National Economics Teaching Association. Over the course of his career, he has been deeply committed to helping students see economics as a practical and powerful way to understand the world around them. His teaching draws heavily on stories, classroom experiments, simulations, role-playing, and real-world cases that invite students to discover economic ideas for themselves. Through his founding role and continued involvement with NETA, Professor Gosselin has helped foster a national community of economics educators dedicated to creativity, collaboration, and excellence in teaching.
Patrick Murphy
Board Member - Professor at Saint Leo University’s Tapia College of Business. A dedicated economics educator, Dr. Murphy helps students connect economic reasoning to practical issues in business, markets, sports, and public policy. His scholarly work includes research on the marketing and economic implications of bankruptcies in professional sports, an example of his interest in applying economics to real-world institutions and decision-making. In both his teaching and research, Dr. Murphy brings an applied, accessible approach to economics that encourages students to see the discipline as a useful way of understanding the world around them.
Florencia Gabrielle
Board Member - Economics professor at Emmanuel College in Boston, where she is known for her energetic, student-centered approach to teaching economics. Originally from Argentina, Dr. Gabriele brings a global perspective to the classroom and helps students see economics to better understand public policy, political institutions, finance, and everyday decision-making. Her teaching emphasizes engagement, applied learning, and the use of creative classroom strategies, including open educational resources, videos, and interactive activities. She is also an award-winning economics educator, having received NETA’s Best in Class First Place Award in 2018.