Ph.D. University of Illinois at Chicago (2013)
M.A. University of Illinois at Chicago (2000)
About
I have been a faculty member at Valparaiso University since 2011, teaching a variety of economics courses and helping students connect economic theories to real-world applications. Prior to joining academia, I worked in the financial services industry, where I gained extensive experience in risk management, business strategy, and market analysis at companies such as Citigroup, Discover, and HSBC. My professional experience in applying economic principles to solve complex business challenges informs my teaching. I strive to make economics concepts practical and relevant, helping students understand how economic thinking shapes decision-making within organizations and across society.
Areas of Interest
Labor Economics, Gender Inequality, Earnings and Wealth Inequality, Econometrics, Teaching Economics, Generative AI Applications in Economics and Education
Courses Taught
Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Managerial Economics, Labor Economics, Econometrics, Data Science
Publications
Beck, S.V., & Brodersen, D.M. (May 2025). Fostering Generative AI Literacy in Economics: A Hands-on Approach. Journal of Economics Teaching.
Beck, S. V., & Brodersen, D. M. (Fall 2024). Health, Religion and The Great Recession in the United States. Faith and Economics, 83.
Beck, S. V., & Gundersen, S. J. (2023). Religion and Gender. In Zimmermann, K.F. (eds) Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_407-1
Beck, S. V., & Brodersen, D. M. (2021). Wages, Religion and the Great Recession in the United States. Journal of Economics, Management and Religion, 2(02).
Beck, S.V. (2018). Returns to Education in the United States: Differentials among Christian Affiliations by Gender. Faith and Economics, 72, 3-34.
Beck, S.V. and Brodersen, D.M. (2018). The Great Recession and Wealth in the United States: Differentials by Religious Affiliation. International Journal of Social Economics, 45(9), 1335-1354.
Beck, S. V. (2016). Within Religion Wage Differentials in the United States: Does Religious Participation Matter? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 55(3), 558-578.
Beck, S.V. and Gundersen, S. (2016). A Gospel of Prosperity? An Analysis of the Impact of Religion on Income in Ghana, the Most Religious Country in the World. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 55 (1), 105-129.
Professional Affiliations
American Economic Association (AEA)
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR)
Midwest Economic Association (MEA)
Indiana Academy of Social Sciences (IAASS)
