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“One of my goals as a teacher is to teach my students about economic theory. Theory is like a lamp; it lights the way and shows us where to look, giving us insight into the behavior of a person, a firm, or a nation. Theory, though, must be taught together with the tools of analysis. We gather and rigorously analyze information to test these economic theories. It is, however, economic reality that shows us what’s really going on. Theory and analytic tools without understanding of the real world is like a stool with two legs. I can think of no better example of teaching students about economic reality than taking my students to Mexico as part of my ‘Mexican Migration Experience’ course. I could see how students applied what they learned in the class as well as a wide range of other OWU classes to what they were seeing in Mexico.

“It’s fun to watch it all gel as students put our discussions, texts, travel, and projects together. You can see it in their eyes when a student “gets it.” I also believe strongly that understanding is deepened by actually experiencing a situation. As a result of their participation in the ‘Mexican Migration Experience,’ and their stays with host families, students now can understand better why people migrate, and what life is like for the migrants, their families, and their communities.

“My hope as a professor, is that several years from now, my students realize that I made some small difference in their lives.”

Robert J. Gitter (B.A., University of Michigan; M.A., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin) is the Joseph A. Meek Professor of Economics at OWU. Professor Gitter’s research interests are the economics of Mexican migration to the U.S. and the impact of working in the United States on Mexicans who have returned to their homeland. Professor Gitter is one of six OWU professors named as a Sagan Fellow whose designated off-campus course “Mexican Migration Experience” enabled him to take 11 students representing a variety of academic majors to study migration issues in Mexico and live with host families during spring break 2010.