Professors Join Tenured Bunch

The Economics Department is proud to announce that both Professor Mark Foley and Professor Fred Smith received tenure this semester. Foley and Smith were promoted to the Associate Professor level in April, in recognition of their contributions in their professional areas of expertise, their dedication to teaching, and their conspicuous involvement in campus life.

Foley’s principal area of expertise is the transition economies of the former Soviet bloc, including Russia, Estonia and Croatia. Foley has written extensively on these countries, and also provided consulting work to a UNICEF study investigating Russian family structure. While at Davidson, Foley has earned a reputation as both an extremely brilliant and always approachable professor. Foley insists that his students call him “Mark”, and that has won the affection of countless economics majors. One graduating senior fondly reflected on his first interaction with Mark, “Mark told me, ‘Dr. Foley’s my wife, call me Mark!’” Foley will be missed next spring when he leaves for Hungary for his semester-long sabbatical. Foley won a Fulbright Fellowship to teach in Corvinus University in Budapest.

During his six years at Davidson, Smith’s “Open Door Policy” has achieved legendary status. Smith’s door is almost always open, and students are encouraged to join him to discuss questions from class, various issues in public policy and social justice, and his predictions for the Cleveland Indians’ and Chicago Cubs’ seasons. Smith’s dedication to his students has not gone unnoticed. Last year, Smith received the Student Government Association’s Faculty Award, and was also elected by the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society as their honorary faculty inductee.

The Economics Department is fortunate to have secured the services of these two outstanding professors for the long-term. Undoubtedly, future generations of Davidson students will benefit tremendously from the instruction and passion of these two professors. Congratulations, Smith and Foley!

--Paul Masi

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