National economics expert to speak

Pressman has an international reputation for his research and writing on current areas of interest in economics, such as the decline of the middle-class. He travels the world for speaking engagements in his area of expertise.

He has been interviewed on national television in the United States, published about 120 articles in refereed journals and authored or edited 13 books, including “50 Major Economists,” a widely-used college textbook.

Pressman is co-editor of the Review of Political Economy, serves on the board of directors of the Eastern Economic Association and has been a regular book reviewer for Dollars and Sense.

The title of his presentation will be, “Fifty Shades of Income Inequality: Understanding Thomas Piketty’s 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century'.”

Piketty is a French economist whose book, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” made The New York Times best-seller list in May. His ideas are being widely debated, according to Basnet. The book is based on Piketty’s thesis that capitalism is widening the gap between the poor and the upper class.

“This is a special opportunity for students to hear about big ideas from big people. I’m excited for them to consider a different perspective from an expert with such broad knowledge,” Basnet said.