Faculty
Meet the diverse, accomplished faculty of our online Economics master’s degree program. Our instructors include award-winning professors and prolific researchers who regularly contribute to peer-reviewed journals. They are passionate about student success and cultivating professionals ready to lead and excel in the workforce.
Dr. Thomas Knight, Program Director
Department Chair, Instructional Professor
Dr. Thomas Knight serves as Department Chair and Instructional Professor in the Department of Economics. He is also the Program Director for the residential and online M.A. in Econometric and Data Analysis programs. He teaches Microeconomic Analysis in the online program.
During his 13 years at the University of Florida, Dr. Knight has been recognized with numerous UF teaching and advising awards. He is also a contributing author to “Economics Today,” one of the leading undergraduate economics textbooks.
Dr. Min Fang
Assistant Professor
Dr. Min Fang is an Assistant Professor of Macroeconomics in the Department of Economics. He teaches Macroeconomic Analysis in the online program, which he has taught since Spring 2023.
Min Fang received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester in 2021. He joined the Economics Department at the University of Florida in 2023. Previously, he served as an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva and the University of Lausanne.
Dr. Berkay Akyapi
Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Berkay Akyapi is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the Warrington College of Business. He teaches Machine Learning in the online Economics master’s program. His interdisciplinary research spans machine learning, macroeconomics, and climate change, focusing on the economic impacts of severe weather.
Dr. Akyapi is passionate about sharing his expertise in bridging theory and practice through data-driven decision-making.
Dr. Eugenio Rojas
Assistant Professor
Dr. Eugenio Rojas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Florida. He teaches International Macroeconomics in the online graduate program and joined UF in 2019 after earning his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Rojas has extensive teaching experience in international macroeconomics at the undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels. His research has been published in leading field journals, including the Journal of Monetary Economics, the Journal of International Economics, and the Economics of Education Review.
Dr. Fatma Gunay
Associate Instructional Professor
Dr. Fatma Gunay has a passion for teaching students at all levels. She earned her Master of Arts and doctorate in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining the University of Florida in 2018, she taught at Washington and Lee University and St. Lawrence University, where she honed her teaching and research expertise.
At UF, Dr. Gunay has regularly taught undergraduate and advanced courses in Game Theory, Managerial Economics, and the foundational PhD Microeconomics sequence. Her exceptional teaching has earned her high praise, including the prestigious Teacher of the Year award for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2022. Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2023, she continues to engage her students with her clear and rigorous approach to economics.
Dr. Robert Ainsworth
Associate Professor
Dr. Robert Ainsworth is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics. He teaches Cost-Benefit Analysis in the residential and online M.A. in Econometric and Data Analysis programs. He also teaches courses in public economics and econometrics to UF bachelor’s and doctoral students. He conducts research on education policy, local public finance, and voting behavior. He has published academic articles in top journals in economics and political economy and has presented his research widely, including at the National Bureau of Economic Research and at many conferences and universities.
Dr. Hector H. Sandoval
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Hector H. Sandoval is a Research Assistant Professor and the Director of Economic Analysis Program at the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR). He teaches Economic Data Analysis, a course he has been teaching since 2019.
Hector Sandoval received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015 and joined the University of Florida since then. His research has been published in leading academic journals. Additionally, he has conducted numerous research projects for state and local government agencies, as well as for the private sector in Florida.
Dr. Zhifeng Gao
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Zhifeng Gao is a Professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida. His research focuses on consumer behavior, market strategies, and policies that promote sustainable food consumption and technology adoption in agriculture. Dr. Gao has published over 100 articles in leading journals such as Food Policy, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and Ecological Economics. He teaches graduate-level courses in microeconomics, econometrics, and research methods. Dr. Gao has received numerous honors, including the UF Research Foundation Professorship, the AAEA Distinguished Teaching Award, and the NACTA Educator Award.