James Gerber
- Graduated: 1979
- Field: University Professor
James Gerber(opens in new window), who received his BA in Economics in 1979 and his BA in History in 1974, is professor of economics at San Diego State University(opens in new window). He earned his PhD in Economics(opens in new window) from UC Davis and spent his career teaching, writing, and researching at San Diego State University. In addition to his position in the Economics Department, he served for seven years as SDSU’s Director of the Center for Latin American Studies(opens in new window) and three years as the Director of the International Business Program(opens in new window). During his tenure with Latin American Studies, the program received funding from the US Department of Education and was recognized as a National Resource Center for Latin American Studies(opens in new window). He organized and ran summer programs in Mexico and was a visiting professor in several Mexican universities. In 2000 he was recognized as the Most Outstanding Faculty Member in the College of Arts and Letters at SDSU.
James’ current research interests include US-Mexico economic relations, 20th century Mexican economic history, and the economic history of the US-Mexico border region since the 1920s. He has written several books, including a widely used textbook, International Economics(opens in new window), which is now in its 8th edition and has been translated into Chinese and other languages. His most recent book, A Great Deal of Ruin: Financial Crises since 1929(opens in new window), was published in 2019 by Cambridge University Press. He has also published numerous articles in refereed journals and chapters in edited volumes.
“Chico State prepared me for graduate school and a rewarding career in higher education,” James stated in a recent email. “The faculty I met in Chico were dedicated, caring professionals with degrees from top US universities. I will be forever grateful for the foundation I received and for the opportunities Chico State offered.” (Last Updated 6/10/21)