Dr. Saif Mehkari

Pakistan-native Dr. Saif Mehkari, assistant professor of economics, is a relatively new face in the Robins School of Business, but he is no stranger to the University of Richmond’s smaller liberal arts environment.

Mehkari completed a master’s and doctoral degree in economics at the Ohio State University and joined the Robins School in the fall of 2011.  Prior to his time at Ohio State, Mehkari completed undergraduate coursework at Ohio Wesleyan University, a more intimate, liberal arts-focused institution. 

When it came time to develop a list of universities to apply to, Mehkari concentrated his search on liberal arts schools that placed an equal value on teaching and scholarship. 

“Ohio Wesleyan is a small liberal arts school, so I was looking (among other things) to go to a liberal arts school,” he said.  “It wasn’t the only preference, but it was one of my preferences.”

The location of the Robins School and its proximity to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond were both attractive to Mehkari.

“The Robins School was nice in that it offered a good balance between scholarship and research.  Then, the fact that the Fed was nearby was also great, because it allows you to keep in touch with more research as well.”

During his first semester in the fall of 2011, Mehakri taught three sections of ECON 102 Principles of Macroeconomics.  This spring, he is teaching two sections of ECON 271 Macroeconomic Theory.

Already, Robins School students have made an impression on Mehkari.  He said, “They’re smart kids, and they’re very curious at times, which is always a good thing.  They’re also very confident, which means that they’re more willing to interact in class and ask questions.”

“It’s kind of a nice mix when you have people that are curious and people who are confident, because as a teacher, it helps you bring things like current affairs into classroom discussions.”

Through classroom discussion and student participation, Mehkari has learned things about his own field that he might not have otherwise thought to examine.

“The other great thing is that you also learn things. Students ask you questions, and you don’t always know the answers (because you don’t know everything about your profession),” he explained. 

“For example, one of my students was presenting the inflation report from last month and found out that apparel prices had actually increased and was wondering why they’d increased.  Part of what we discovered is that the increase might be related to a rise in cotton prices, and that’s kind of interesting.”

Student curiosity and class discussions keep Mehkari’s teaching fresh and interesting.  “It’s a very vibrant learning environment,” he said. 

As a new tenure-track addition to the Robins School’s economics department, Mehkari is eager to excel in teaching and scholarship—the very balance that attracted him to the University.

“My goal is to be a good teacher and to make an impact on my field.  As a researcher, it’s always a goal (in addition to the small drops in the ocean of knowledge) to actually have an impact on economic thought.”