Sabbatical

I suppose now is a good a time as any to let you, dear reader, know that my first ever sabbatical has now commenced.  It has been 12 years since I joined the academy, but such was my enthusiasm to return to Oregon that I left the University of Colorado just as I was up for my first sabbatical - only to have my clock reset and to wait another 6 years.  Well that 6 years has ended and now I get to immerse myself in research.  What this means for this blog is probably a little less regular posting, but that trend has already started this summer so I imagine little noticeable changes.  More noticeable changes will occur when I travel to Brazil for extended periods - right now late October to late November and probably the entire first half of 2013 as I will be taking up a position as a Visiting Professor at the São Paulo School of Economics Fundação Getulio Vargas.

While there I will be engaged in a few research projects. The main one being the study of the impact of working as a child on academic performance. Another one is investigating the impact of microloans on recipient households.  I am also at the beginning stages of writing an intermediate microeconomics textbook that takes an applied policy approach for Pearson, a text which is designed to be delivered on-line and highly interactive.  So, I'll be plenty busy.  For now though this blog will plod along as always.  This fall has provided a number of interesting policy discussions and, though I have not been as engaged as in years past, I hope to chime in form time to time about them.

NOTE: This also means if you come looking for me in Corvallis, you will not find me.