Theresa Yaw

Economics, Lecturer

Office: WSTC 311 | Phone: (308) 865-8459 | Email: yawta@unk.edu

Biography

Theresa Yaw joined UNK in 2016 with 25 years of professional experience in various roles ranging from Financial Analyst to Director of Marketing at Baldwin Filters and Cushman, Inc. It was during her time at Baldwin Filters that she obtained her Six Sigma Blackbelt Certification in Quality Processes. At UNK, she is involved in the American Democracy Project, serves as Faculty Fellow for Sigma Phi Epsilon, and is the Faculty Adviser for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Yaw has taken her FBLA students to state and national competitions where UNK students consistently place in the top ten in many of the competitive events.

Education

M.A., Economics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
B.A., Economics, Northwest Missouri State University

Area of Expertise and research

Economic vitality of small towns
Economic impact studies

How did you become interested in this subject?

When I was three semesters away from graduating with a major in Computer Science from Northwest Missouri State University, I took my first economics course, and realized that I was in the wrong field. I switched to Economics and went on to get my master’s degree from University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

What can I expect in your Class?

Two unique things can be found in my Principles of Economics classes. First, you don’t have to purchase a textbook. I have moved to an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook which is available free of charge. Second, I give no unit exams. I made this change during COVID-19, replacing them with chapter quizzes. Students seem to like this, and the results were impressive enough for me to keep this policy in place.