The man behind the Hawaiian shirt Meet Joe Calhoun
By Caroline Murkey
H
awaiian shirts featuring bright colors mixed in with action shots of people surfing or of calming seascapes and flora are usually worn by tourists on vacation who don’t mind drawing attention to themselves. However, in the Principles of Microeconomics class at FSU Valencia in summer 2019, the Hawaiian shirt was worn by the instructor and self-proclaimed introvert, Dr. Joe Calhoun, while teaching about foreign exchange rates and other economics-related topics. Economics can be a daunting subject to many people. The concept of money alone can be a source of stress for lots of people, even without getting graded on their knowledge of it. But not for Calhoun. Though he started off as a business major, Calhoun soon turned to economics and finance while at Illinois State University. After this change,
it seemed like a puzzle piece had fit right into place, and Calhoun knew what he wanted to focus on. Even though he double-majored in economics and finance, economics was his true passion. “I was going to be a business major, and my advisor said ‘[take] economics’ and I said ‘OK, I’ll take economics,’ and I just liked it more than anything else,” Calhoun says. After graduating from Illinois State, Calhoun continued on to DePaul University in Chicago, where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA). While at DePaul, Calhoun came to understand what he really wanted to do with his life: teach economics. The college level was where he wanted to teach; therefore, as it was explained to him by his advisor, he needed to get a Ph.D. in economics. So, after gaining his MBA from DePaul, Calhoun headed down south to the University of Georgia, where he earned his Ph.D. in economics.
After a brief, part-time position with the University of Georgia, Calhoun was hired at Florida State University 15 years ago. He has been at Florida State ever since. “I feel valued, I feel like I’m doing a good job, and my students affirm that I run my class pretty well,” Calhoun says. “I just enjoy it.” In summer 2019’s second session, Calhoun was teaching two courses—Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics—in Valencia, Spain with FSU’s International Programs (IP). He describes his teaching style as very interactive. “Dr. Calhoun does a great job making the class more collaborative and hands on despite it being a standard textbook class,” says Megan Blankenship, a student in Calhoun’s Valencia microeconomics class. “He really gives the students a chance to ask questions and participate in class.” In Tallahassee, Calhoun usually teach-
“I feel valued, I feel like I’m doing a good job, and my students affirm that I run my class pretty well. I just enjoy it.” — Joe Calhoun 8 Nomadic Noles // Summer 2019
