Will Pyle
Frederick C. Dirks Professor of International Economics

- Office
- Warner 312
- Tel
- (802) 443-3240
- wpyle@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Wednesday 8:30-11:30am and by appointment
- Additional Programs
- Economics International Politics and Economics
In addition to being a professor in the economics department, I am an affiliate of the programs in International Politics and Economics and Russian and East European Studies.
I am also Associate Fellow of the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development at the HSE University in Moscow. And I have recently held visiting research positions at CESifo in Munich and the Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
I have a B.A. in History from Harvard College (magna cum laude), an M.A. in Russian and East European Studies from Indiana University and a Ph.D. from Duke University in Economics.
I live in the town of Middlebury, just a short walk from the College.
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Courses Taught
ECON 0232
Upcoming
The Chinese Economy
Course Description
The Chinese Economy
In this course we will explore the economic development of China up until the present day, giving particular attention to the socialist era and the post-1978 reforms. Specific topics to be covered will include growth and structural change, the urban-rural divide, the state’s ongoing role in the economy, demography, and the country’s integration into the global economy. (ECON 0150 or ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
ECON 0255
Micro Theory
Course Description
Microeconomic Theory
Microeconomic theory concentrates on the study of the determination of relative prices and their importance in shaping the allocation of resources and the distribution of income in an economy. We will study the optimizing behavior of households in a variety of settings: buying goods and services, saving, and labor supply decisions. We will also examine the behavior of firms in different market structures. Together, the theories of household and firm behavior help illumine contemporary economic issues (discrimination in labor markets, mergers in the corporate world, positive and negative externalities, for example). (MATH 0121 and ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
ECON 0301
CSPW: Economic Journalism
Course Description
Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Economic Journalism*
Drawing on core courses in the major, students will strengthen their understanding of economic analysis and develop their writing skills by addressing contemporary economic issues in a journalistic format. In a series of weekly assignments, including book reviews, op-eds, and coverage of recent research articles, students will translate the language of formal economics into pieces that are both interesting and accessible to educated non-economists. Most class sessions will be organized as workshops devoted to critiquing the economic and expository content of student work. (ECON 211 and ECON 250 and ECON 255) 3 hr. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
ECON 0430
Post-Communist Econ Transition
Course Description
The Post-Communist Economic Transition
This seminar will use the “natural experiment” of the post-communist transition to better understand the origin and consequences of various economic and political institutions. Drawing on research related to China and Russia as well as other formerly communist economies in Europe and Asia, we will explore such themes as property rights reform, the finance-growth nexus, contract enforcement institutions, and the economic consequences of corruption and different political regimes. (ECON 0210 or MATH 0310 or MATH 0311 and ECON 0240 or ECON 0250, or by approval)
Terms Taught
Requirements
ECON 0500
Current
Upcoming
Individual Special Project
Course Description
Individual Special Project
If you choose to pursue an area that we do not offer or go in depth in an area already covered, we recommend the Individual Special Project option. These ECON 0500 proposals MUST be passed by the entire department and are to be submitted to the chair by the first Friday of fall and spring semester, respectively. The proposals should contain a specific description of the course contents, its goals, and the mechanisms by which goals are to be realized. It should also include a bibliography. According to the College Handbook, ECON 0500 projects are a privilege open to those students with advanced preparation and superior records in their fields. A student needs to have a 3.5 or higher G.P.A. in Economics courses taken at Middlebury in order to pursue an Individual Special Project. ECON 0500 does not count towards the major or minor requirements.
Terms Taught
ECON 0701
Upcoming
Senior Research Workshop I
Course Description
Senior Research Workshop I
In this first semester, students will design and begin their projects. Emphasis will be on designing a novel research question (while making the case for its importance) and an appropriate strategy for answering it. This requires immersion in the academic literature on the topic. General research principles and tools will be taught in class, as a group, while those specific to individual projects will be covered in one-on-one meetings. By the end of the term, students will outline their plan for completing the project, including demonstrating that it is a feasible research question for which the necessary information (e.g., data or source materials) is available or can be generated by the student (e.g., lab or other experiment). (Approval required)
Terms Taught
ECON 0702
Current
Senior Research Workshop II
Course Description
Senior Research Workshop II
In this second semester of the senior research workshop sequence, the focus is on the execution of the research plan developed in ECON 0701. Most instruction is now one-on-one but the workshop will still meet as a group to discuss and practice the presentation of results in various formats (seminars, poster sessions, et cetera) to the rest of the workshop and others in the college and broader communities. Feedback and critiques from such presentations will be incorporated into the project, which will culminate in a research paper in the style of an economics journal article. (ECON 0701; Approval required)
Terms Taught
IPEC 0500
Current
Upcoming
Independent Project
Course Description
Independent Project
(Approval Required)
Terms Taught
IPEC 0700
Current
Upcoming
Intl.Pol.&Economics SR. Thesis
Course Description
Senior Thesis
(Approval Required)
Terms Taught