BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
James Thornton is Professor of Economics at Eastern Michigan University. He received a B.A. and M.A. from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1978 and 1980. After receiving his M.A., he worked as an Auto Industry Economist in the Office of Automotive Fuel Economy Standards at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington D.C. from 1980 to 1981, and an Instructor of Economics at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, from 1981 to 1987. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and joined the Eastern Michigan University faculty in 1991. Professor Thornton was a Visiting Professor in the School of Health Administration and Policy at Arizona State University from 1997 to 1998. He also served as Director of Graduate Programs in Economics at Eastern Michigan University from 1999 to 2005.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Professor Thornton has primary research interests in health economics and the application of econometric methods to interdisciplinary research. His current and past research includes studies on health outcomes, health insurance, pharmaceutical effectiveness, physician specialty choice, medical malpractice, physician labor supply, and medical practice efficiency. He has been involved in interdisciplinary research in the areas of pharmacology, medical psychology, psychobiology, and cognitive psychology. His research has been published in Health Economics, Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Journal of Human Resources, Economics Letters, Applied Economics, Clinical Researcher, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Psychopharmacology, Behaviour Research Therapy, as well as other journals.
TEACHING
Professor Thornton currently teaches undergraduate and graduate level classes in health economics, econometrics, and financial economics, as well as principles of microeconomics. He has also taught a graduate class in microeconomic theory, and undergraduate classes in industrial organization, international economics, economics of the stock market, money and banking, and contemporary economic issues. In the future, he plans to offer a class on the economics of the wine industry.
"Anyone can know, the point is to understand."
-- Albert Einstein
"Ninety percent of life is just showing up."
-- Woody Allen