Faculty Spotlight: Thomas Birch, Business
Economics Professor Dr. Thomas Birch has been a staple of 樱花动漫 Manchester鈥檚 business program since he joined the faculty in 1987. Fusing economics with liberal arts principles, Birch鈥檚 classes explore the interactions between business and economics, politics, communication and technology.
Birch sees the world through multiple lenses, and he teaches economics that way鈥攕eizing the opportunity to guide students through unique facets of the subject. His ambition for his students extends beyond the classroom, encouraging them to apply economic principles as both consumers and innovators. Birch鈥檚 commitment to his students鈥 success earned him the 樱花动漫 Excellence in Teaching award in 2011.
Birch grew up in the Midwest, earning his bachelor鈥檚 degree at a small liberal arts college in Ohio before pursuing his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Indiana University at Bloomington.
What do you like best about your job?
The diversity of students that I get to meet, and their motivation to learn.
What is your favorite 樱花动漫 Manchester memory?
Watching students gain confidence and mature intellectually.
Tell us your favorite:
- Manchester restaurant: Mangia on Elm Street
- New Hampshire destination: Beach
- Book: Tender is the Night
- Movie: Fitzcarraldo
- Childhood book: Swallows and Amazons
- Childhood TV show: Get Smart
What are your hobbies?
Any sport I can still manage to play without injuring myself.
Best vacation ever?
Our honeymoon in Paris.
We鈥檇 be surprised to know that鈥
I usually wake up between 4 and 5 a.m.鈥攁s Henry David Thoreau says, 鈥淥nly that day dawns to which we are awake.鈥 Sometimes I take a nap later (not at the office, however).
Which 3 famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party?
Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Cleopatra.
As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?
A professional baseball player (then a teacher).