Julianne Callaway  

FSA, ACAS, MAAA

Julianne Callaway is Vice President and Senior Actuary, leading the Strategic Research team at RGA Reinsurance Company. She is a member of both the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society, specializing in General Insurance risks. Julianne holds BS and MA degrees in economics from the University of Missouri and has experience in financial research.

Her research on emerging areas of interest to the insurance industry informs the development of economic models and market intelligence in support of innovative business initiatives and business strategy. Additionally, she has experience with pricing, loss reserving and predictive modeling for commercial and personal lines of insurance.

Julianne is actively involved with the United Way of Greater St Louis, serving as Chair of the West Region board, as a member of the Regional Investment Committee, and as a member of the Women’s Leadership Society Cabinet.

Tabitha Chikhladze

Kadie Clark

Kadie Clark, a 2021 graduate of the University of Missouri has a Bachelors of Science in Economics and a Bachelors of Arts in Geography, with an emphasis in Environmental Geography. Kadie is a Senior Investment Associate at Cambridge Associates in Washington, D.C. She works with endowments and foundations to align their investments with social and environmental goals, focusing on natural capital investments. Kadie is committed to environmental stewardship and explores nature-based solutions for transitioning to a lower-carbon economy.

Lory Ellebracht-Fehlig

A 2003 graduate of the 5-year Master's Program in Economics, Lory Ellebracht-Fehlig gained a variety of experiences as an MU student that prepared her for opportunities in both the public, private and non-profit sectors. She acknowledges the importance of the many internship opportunities provided by MU, having benefited from spending her summers exploring options across the country. First working in Chicago for SAS, a statistical software company, then in Washington, DC as an intern for the Congressional Budget Office, and serving as part of the Civic Leaders Internship Program in Jefferson City all provided excellent foundations for moving easily into the job market.  After graduating, Lory has had the opportunity to work around the country at places including Sandia National Laboratories, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Hallmark Cards, and H&R Block.  Currently the Liberty, MO native is working as part of the analytics team for Children International, a non-profit organization helping children across the world break the cycle of poverty.  She resides in Kansas City, MO with her husband, Edward, and their two daughters.

Edward Scott Fitzgerald

E. Scott FitzGerald (’89) represents a proud multigenerational Mizzou legacy defined by academic excellence, professional achievement, and philanthropic leadership. A Kansas City native and Bishop Hogan High School graduate, Scott built a strong foundation as an Economics major and member of Phi Kappa Theta, guided by the mentorship of Dr. Walter Johnson. After earning his B.A. in Economics in 1989, he launched a distinguished career as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, a role he has held in Mayfield, Kentucky since 1992. Committed to lifelong learning, he later completed his MBA at Murray State University in 2015. The Mizzou tradition continues in his practice, where he now works alongside his son, Colin, also a Mizzou graduate.

Scott’s deep gratitude for his Mizzou education is reflected in his sustained philanthropic impact. His longtime support of the Tiger Scholarship Fund and the Walter Johnson Opportunities for Excellence Fund honors the mentor who shaped his early path. Together with his wife, Penny, he established the E. Scott and Penny FitzGerald Endowment for Economics, providing vital resources to strengthen the Department of Economics for future generations of Tigers.

A dedicated community member with wide-ranging personal interests, Scott continues to embody the Mizzou spirit of service, leadership, and enduring connection.

Carter Gloyd

Carter Gloyd is a 2019 graduate from the University of Missouri – Columbia with Bachelor of Science in Economics. Since graduating, Carter has been in the Tech Industry and started his own Real Estate firm, JR Gold Ventures. He is actively involved in community service, serving as the Chief Volunteer Officer for the Young Professionals Board at UCP Heartland and also served on the Board of Directors at Warriors Against Melanoma. In his free time, Carter enjoys golfing, hiking, boating at the Lake of the Ozarks, Mizzou football and he currently resides in Kirkwood, Missouri.

Edward Griem

Edward “Eddie” Greim is a nationally recognized litigator whose practice spans complex commercial disputes, free‑speech and election law, and high‑stakes internal investigations. Known as a “go‑to” attorney on constitutional and policy matters, he has argued major cases before multiple state supreme courts and several U.S. Courts of Appeals, and was named a Constitutional and Election Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal.

A proud graduate of the University of Missouri, Eddie earned dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science, summa cum laude, before completing his JD at Harvard Law School. He has remained closely connected to Mizzou through his service on the Mizzou Alumni Board.

A native of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Eddie now lives in Kansas City with his family. He enjoys Missouri and military history and can often be found exploring local sites with his wife and daughters.

Robert Jones

Robert “Bob” Jones is a veteran financial services executive with more than 40 years of industry experience. He previously served as President and CEO of Central Trust & Investment Company, leading a team of over 100 investment and estate‑planning professionals across Missouri, and now brings his expertise to Enterprise Bank & Trust. A graduate of the University of Missouri–Columbia and Northwestern University’s MBA program, Jones remains closely connected to Mizzou through his service on the Economics Leaders Board. He also serves on the boards of the Sheldon Arts Foundation and the National Children’s Cancer Society. Based in St. Louis with his wife and two children, Jones enjoys coaching sports, cooking, and playing the drums and bass.

James (Jay) Nouss, Jr.

James “Jay” L. Nouss Jr. (’76) is a distinguished corporate attorney and a steadfast champion of Mizzou Economics. A St. Louis native and graduate of the Saint Louis Priory School, Jay earned his B.A. in Economics with Honors from the University of Missouri in 1976 before completing his J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center in 1979. He has spent more than four decades as a Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, advising public companies, investment banks, and venture capital funds on complex corporate finance and M&A transactions. His peers have repeatedly recognized his excellence, including honors from The Best Lawyers in America and a “Lawyer of the Year” award in Securities Regulation.

Jay’s deep appreciation for the analytical training he received at Mizzou has shaped his long-standing engagement with the department. After previously serving on the Economics Alumni Leaders Board, he has been rewelcomed as a member, continuing his commitment to strengthening the program. Jay and his wife, Lisa, also established the James L. Nouss Jr. and Lisa A. Nouss Scholarship in Economics, supporting high-achieving faculty and ensuring future Tigers benefit from exceptional teaching and mentorship.

Despite his national and international professional reach, Jay remains closely connected to his St. Louis roots, balancing a life of professional leadership with strong family values

Michael Podgursky

Michael Podgursky is a Chancellor's Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri–Columbia, where he served as department chair from 1995-2005. His research focuses on the economics of education. He has written many articles in the area, with a primary focus on educator labor markets and human resource policy in schools. His recent research has been focused on the labor market effects of teacher retirement benefit systems. He serves on the board of editors of Education Finance and Policy, Peabody Journal of Education, advisory boards for various statistical agencies and research institutes, and the board of the Missouri Show-Me Institute. He is a co-investigator at the National Center for Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University and the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research at AIR, two national research centers funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education, and is an Education Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute at Southern Methodist University. He has served as a consultant for school districts, K-12 nonprofits, foundations, and governments on school finance and educator compensation.

Dawn Schillinger

Dawn Schillinger is a business strategist & consultant in St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2014 with her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Journalism in International Strategic Communication and in 2015 with her Master of Arts in Journalism. Through both the Economics and Journalism schools, Dawn found her passion for understanding the irrationality of human behavior and shaped her career around turning that knowledge into people-centric solutions. She does that through fiercely human consulting at Slalom, where she partners with organizations to deliver innovations customer experiences. 

Andrew Spewak

Andrew Spewak graduated from the University of Missouri in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Romance Languages (Spanish Emphasis).

Born and raised in St. Louis, Andrew has loved Mizzou since early childhood and never seriously considered going to college anywhere else. He credits his economics degree with helping him build a robust technical skillset and an ability to think critically about quantitative and qualitative information.

Currently, he is a Workforce Data Analyst at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. In this role, he develops data flows, builds visualizations, and performs analytics to inform decision-making regarding the organization’s workforce. Previously, he was a Research Associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where he had contributed to economic publications, presentations, and policy discussions. While in college, he served as President and Treasurer of the Mizzou Spanish Club. Andrew lives in the Washington, D.C. area, but will always consider Missouri to be home.

Thomas G. Watkins

Thomas G. Watkins has devoted his career to advancing economic education through both scholarship and teaching. After earning his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from Mizzou (’73, ’74), where he was mentored by Dr. John M. Kuhlman, Tom completed his PhD at Iowa State University and gained early experience teaching and conducting research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Drawn to the classroom, he joined Eastern Kentucky University in 1984, rising to Full Professor and becoming known for integrating critical thinking and communication skills into the economics curriculum. His leadership extended to directing the MBA Program and the Center for Economic Education. A dedicated supporter of Mizzou, Tom has committed more than $600,000 to the Department of Economics, primarily benefiting the Dr. John Kuhlman Graduate Fellowship Fund

Michelle Wickman

PhD 2023

Michelle Wickman is an economist working at the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research at St. Louis University. Her research interests include issues related to urban economics such as where people tend to spend time outside their home, how the housing market responds to new commercial properties, and understanding individuals' willingness to travel to school.

After graduating in 2017 with a BS in economics and physics from the University of Missouri, she also completed a PhD in economics at MU in 2023. In her free time, Michelle enjoys running, cooking, golfing, travelling, and Mizzou football. She currently resides in Chesterfield, Missouri.