Like many wide-eyed freshman at Tufts, I was convinced I should major in International Relations. In my first semester, I leaped into EC 5 or “Principles of Economics.” Although by sophomore year, I had found a different major, I did thoroughly enjoy my class and first foray into the world of Economics. Professor Norman is hilarious, even presenting a slide show to help a student ask another to their formal. In our last class, a student even made him a Powerpoint of his similarity to Sean Connery. But Professor Norman’s best talent is that he obviously understands Economics inside and out, and he helps you to get there, too.
Department:Economics
Hometown:Edinburgh, Scotland
What do you teach? Principles of Economics EC 5 in the Fall, Entrepreneurship and Multinational Enterprises in the Spring
How many years have you taught at Tufts?16 years
What’s your favorite aspect of Tufts?I think the combination of good students and teaching and being able to get on with writing and doing research. Those two aspects together.
Why are you passionate about what you teach? I find, as a student, economics fascinating. That’s why I decided to do it as an undergraduate and continue as a postgraduate…I enjoy the whole process of thinking of economics and what it explains. You can explain much of what’s going on in the world through economics. In my classes, I try to draw a connection between theories and what I see when I look around me. Making those connections is what’s fascinating.
What’s your favorite aspect of teaching? What I like best is when suddenly I realize the students are getting it, a whole light goes on…when they make presentations that are really superb, or ask questions that indicate yes they’re getting the material and come up with complications we need to think about and unravel.
What were you like in college? Opinionated, I was a mature student. I went to university when I was 22 so I was constantly asking questions, challenging my professors, trying to pin down what was actually going on. I’m sure some of my professors thought I was a complete pain. In the end, they quite liked me because my questions were sensible…but not always. (Laughs)
What was your favorite part of college? As an undergraduate, I think once we started looking at where I do my research, in industrial organization in economics. It really began to come alive for me, when I began to think logically about markets.
What advice would you give to college students? Very simply, make sure you put effort into your studies, keep up with your material, and go outside the material being covered in class. Be willing to challenge your professor if you don’t understand something, be willing to actually say so and get feedback. Don’t let deadlines slip. And if you’re doing courses which involve writing papers, start early and talk to your professor.
Do you like Boston as a city? (Laughs)I quite like Boston. It’s an interesting relatively small city. Everyone says it’s the most European city in the United States…that’s complete nonsense, its not similar in the slightest. Though, it has character…I hate the climate, the sweltering summer, freezing winter. But I enjoy the town itself.
Who inspires you?In my past, the first person who inspired me was my primary school teacher who succeeded in persuading my parents to have me go to high school. I was the first child to do that. Then I had great high school teachers who really encouraged me. In university, the most inspirational person I had was the man who supervised me when I was doing my PhD. He really taught me how to write and think like an economist…when I went to university, I kept my job. The intention was to go back, but he was the one who persuaded me to become an academic. Without him, I wouldn’t have done that. He was an inspirational guy.
If you have had any wonderful, awesome, inspirational professors, please feel free to e-mail me their names so I can interview them in “Campus Class-Acts!” (Alexandria.chu@tufts.edu)