UM Directory

Matt joined the Economics Department at the University of Montana in 2012. He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Oregon. Prior to entering the UO's PhD program, he served as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force for eight and a half years. While serving in the USAF, Matt was stationed at Travis AFB in Northern California, the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA (where he earned a MA in National Security Affairs), and Hickam AFB in Hawaii. A few of the places to which he deployed include Uzbekistan, Qatar, U.A.E., and Diego Garcia. He grew up in Southern California and earned a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Matt's wife is also a Gaucho and they have two daughters and a son who keep them very busy.

Education

University of Oregon, Ph.D. -- Economics, 2012

University of Oregon, M.S. -- Economics, 2009

Naval Postgraduate School, M.A. -- National Security Affairs, 2004

UC Santa Barbara, B.A. -- Political Science-International Relations, 1997

Current Position

Associate Professor

Courses Taught

Spring 2026

• ECNS 202: Principles of Macroeconomics
• ECNS 302: Intermediate Macroeconomics

I regularly teach the following courses: Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Money & Banking, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Behavioral and Experimental Economics, and Labor Economics.

Teaching Experience

I regularly teach the following courses: Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Money & Banking, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Behavioral and Experimental Economics, and Labor Economics.

I have also taught Intermediate Microeconomics and Environmental Economics.

Research Interests

Field of Study

Experimental Economics, Behavioral Economics, and Risk & Uncertainty

Selected Publications

• "Externalities of Fighting: The Effects of NHL Fighting on Youth Hockey Participation," with Derek Kellenberg, 2025, Journal of Sports Economics
• "Liking the Long-Shot ... but Just as a Friend," 2020, Journal of Risk and Uncertainty
• "Hetergenous Motivation and Cognitive Ability in the Lab," 2020, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics
• "Gender Differences in Asset Information Acquisition," with Dave Wozniak, 2018, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance
• "Information Acquisition Under Risky Conditions Across Real and Hypothetical Settings," 2017, Economic Inquiry
• "Are High-Ability Individuals Really More Tolerant of Risk? A Test of the Relationship Between Risk Aversion and Cognitive Ability," 2016, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics
• "Bias and Brains: Risk Aversion and Cognitive Ability Across Real and Hypothetical Settings," 2013, Journal of Risk and Uncertainty

Professional Experience

Intelligence Officer, U.S. Air Force, 1998-2007

Neuroscience Courses

ECNS 451 - Behavioral/Experimental Economics

Home Department

Department of Economics 

Area of Expertise

Behavioral Economics; Environmental Economics; Experimental Economics