By Gracyn Van Bemmel //
The George B. Delaplaine School of Business welcomed a new face earlier this semester.
Nicholas Reinarts is the new assistant professor of economics. He teaches principles of macroeconomics, microeconomic analysis and the history of economic thought. This will be his third full year of teaching.
Reinarts hails from Merritt Island, Florida, the home of the Kennedy Space Center, which was what initially encouraged his love of science and academia.
He attended Florida Southern College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in economics. He later earned his master’s degree from Troy University and his doctorate from Middle Tennessee State.
“Honestly, my parents have both been teachers at times in their careers, so I was raised in a household that’s very supportive of academic endeavors,” he said, explaining what made him interested in teaching. “They instilled a love of learning in me, and I want to do the same for my students.”
While his parents sparked his desire to teach, it was his high school advanced placement economics teacher that stirred his interest in economics. “He had a way of explaining economics in a way that made it almost intuitive for me, leading me to want to learn more about the discipline,” he said. “The rest is history.”
Reinarts said he enjoys teaching economics because it can be a difficult area of study for a lot of people, and he likes coming up with ways to make difficult concepts easier for his students to understand. “I love the challenge of making what is often someone’s most difficult class a lot more palatable,” he said. “I also love the room for discussion in economics. Nothing is black and white, and everything is up for debate. I love challenging my students with economic theory, and that back-and-forth we get during class.”
His prior experience includes teaching economics at Middle Tennessee State University as a graduate teaching assistant while pursuing his doctorate.
After attending Florida Southern College for his undergraduate education, he realized that a small liberal arts environment was the best for him to academically and professionally. He was able to make connections with his professors that he might not have been able to make had he attended a bigger university. It was this love of a close-knit community that eventually led him to Hood.
Reinarts’ life is not without its challenges either. He was born with spina bifida, a neurological disability that makes walking difficult. As such, he uses a wheelchair.
“What I’d like for students to know is that a disability does not have to stop you from achieving your goals,” he said.
His disability also makes him no stranger to bullying or ostracization. “I take respect extremely seriously,” he explained. “In my class, and everywhere I am present, I will ensure that everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve by virtue of being human.”
If you want to get in touch with Reinarts, you can find his office in Rosenstock 118 or email him at reinarts@hood.edu.
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