Jonathan W. Williams
Williams is a new addition to Economics Department
By Matt Waldman (AB '96)
Jonathan W. Williams is joining the Economics Department this fall as its new assistant professor. He recently completed his PhD in Economics from the University of Virginia, and his areas of specialty are industrial organization, applied econometrics, and applied microeconomics. His current research focus is the airline industry.
"For someone with an interest in industrial organization, the airline industry has all my topics of fascination rolled into one: mergers, predatory pricing, market entry and exit, and different capacity and pricing decisions," says Williams, whose PhD dissertation is on predatory pricing in the airline industry.
Williams grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and enrolled at Ohio University as a math major. He switched to economics after enjoying the applied aspects of the subject, and graduated with a BA in Economics in 2003. He earned his MA in Economics from the University of Virginia in 2005, and then taught introductory and intermediate microeconomics at UVA while continuing his PhD studies. He earned his doctorate in 2009.
"Economics is a way of thinking and I find it rewarding in class when a student who was initially struggling to understand it suddenly has the light go on for them," he says.
Williams accepted the position with Terry because of the quality and size of the economics department; the sense of family among the faculty; and the appeal of Athens. This fall he will be teaching intermediate microeconomics and a PhD level industrial economics course with professor John Turner.
"We are pleased that Jon is joining the Department of Economics and he is a great addition to our faculty," says department head Christopher Cornwell.
Williams has recently celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary with his wife Emily. They have a 14-month-old daughter Lillian, and they are expecting their second daughter in November.
Contact Information
UGA, Brooks Hall
