Frank Gery Endowed Chair in Economics

The Frank Gery Endowed Fund in Economics is in honor of the former Professor of Economics, Frank Gery, who served St. Olaf College as chair of what was then the Department of Economics and Business Administration from 1962 until his retirement in 1997. Gery is known to have made great strides in enhancing the curriculum with required courses in calculus, economic theory, and statistics. This fund was established by John W. Pierson ’65, Mark W. Olson ’65, Paul M. Egeland ’65, Jeff Laurel ’65, and Robert N. Barsness ’66 in honor of their 50th class reunion. Ashley Hodgson was the first to hold this appointment. 

Seth Binder is an Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies. Seth has been a valued member of the faculty at St. Olaf since 2013. He completed his Ph.D. at Yale University and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota. As St. Olaf, Seth teaches courses in Economic Development, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy & Regulation, Sustainable Land Use in Costa Rica, and Sustainable Development. His research focuses on the economics of sustainable development, with particular interest in the valuation and management of biodiversity and ecosystem services; rights of access to land; and the planet’s economic carrying capacity. Seth’s research, some of it in collaboration with undergraduate students, has been published in a variety of academic journals, including Ecological Economics, the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Seth values engaging students in collaborative research and contributing to his professional community. He has served as Chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, and currently serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the U.S. Society for Ecological Economics.