Dr. Wilder has been a member of the faculty of the Department of Business, Accounting & Economics since 2001. She specializes in applied econometrics and institutional economics meaning that she uses economic data to learn about behavior. Specifically, she studies income distribution in a cross-section of countries by gender, race and other factors. Her work has been published both nationally and internationally and her studies, some which have included undergraduate co-authors, has taken her to nearly 30 countries. She loves to experience new cultures and new things and is passionate about economic justice.

Dr. Wilder has received both the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and the United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award. Dr. Wilder also has served as Department Chair, as an advisor to student organizations and a as a lead in the Middle States Accreditation process with a focus on finance. She has developed new study abroad programs including courses in Japan and India and has a course in development to Cuba.

Dr Wilder loves a good puzzle and thus economics and using the methods of sciences to better figure out how the world works is her passion. A Pennsylvania native, she received her Bachelors of Business Administration from Shippensburg University and her Masters and Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Tech (and her blood is still Hokie Maroon and Orange). She is an avid hiker and camper and an empty-nester, living in Reading Pennsylvania with her husband Frank and 2 very spoiled cats.

Falling in love the various economic arrangements around our world after her own study abroad and research experiences, Dr. Wilder enjoys investigating the differences in economic outcomes for sub-groups of populations in a variety of countries. Her publications include 3 volumes on the Estonian economy. Dr. Wilder has also engaged in research on our local economy including projects which incorporate both her classes and students with Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE) grants. Dr. Wilder translates this passion for better understanding the world through economic data into her classes which include labor economics, comparative economics, international aspects of business and various tool building courses in both the traditional program and in the School of Professional Studies non-traditional student business and accounting programs.

Publications

“Cultural Change and Work Attitudes in Japan: A Cohort Analysis,” International Atlantic Economics Association Annual Meetings, Philadelphia, PA, 2013

“Views of Income Redistribution by Demographic Group in the Baltic States,” 10th Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe (Cultures, Crises and Consolidations in the Baltic World), 2013

“Generational Differences in Attitude toward Income Redistribution in the Baltics: A Cohort Panel Analysis,” Economic Challenges of Enlarging Europe Conference, Tallinn, Estonia, 2013

“Expanding Borders to Faculty Led Travel: Collaborations Across Departments,” 2013 Business Professor Teaching Summit, Philadelphia, PA, 2013

“Altruism and the Preference for Income Redistribution Across Generations,” Association for the Study of Religion, Economics and Culture 12th Annual Conference, Washington, DC, 2013

“Globalization across the Curriculum: Diversity and Convergence among the Disciplines,” with Irene Langran, Northeast Region International Studies Association Annual Conference, Baltimore MD, 2012

“The Economics of Altruism,” with Eric Mack ’12, Society for Cross-Cultural Studies Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, 2012

Student Research Collaborations

Austin Marich ’15, “Investigating the Public-Private Wage Differential in Post-Great Recession United States”

Eric Mack ’12, “An Analysis of Altruism and Income Elasticity,” presented at Society for Cross Cultural Research Conference, Las Vegas, NV

Sek Wai Michel Wong ’12, “The Influence of Income Inequality on Self-Reported Happiness in a Cross-section of Nations,” presented at the Eastern Economics Association Annual Meeting

Mike Thompson ’07, “Sense of Community and Reading’s Economic Development”

Nick Loris ’06, “Comparison of Wage Differentials in the Former East and West Germany,” presented at Eastern Economics Association Meetings

Fred Eiswert ’05, “The Impact of Unionization in Transition Countries: Lessons from Estonia,” presented at the Society for the Advancement of Management Conference and published in proceedings

Meghan Hennessey ’03, “The Gender Wage Differential in Four Transition Countries,” presented at the International Atlantic Economics Association Meetings

• ECO 105  Principles of Economics
• ECO 233  Comparative Economic Systems
• ECO 322  Labor Economics
• ECO 335  Intermediate Microeconomics
• ECO 492  Senior Seminar In Economics
• (School of Professional Studies)  BSA 215 Managerial Economics
• (School of Professional Studies)  BSA 355 International Aspects of Business

“A Decomposition of U.S. Urban-Rural Racial Wage Gaps” presented by Student Co-author Evan Carr, ’22. 2021 National Undergraduate Research Council Conference. April 12, 2021.

“Income Inequality and Populist Attitudes: A US County Level Analysis” International Conference on Culture, Institutions and Economic Development (CIED 2019), Matera (Italy), 24-25, October 2019.

“Who are the Working Poor in the United States?” with Khady Gueye ’19.  86^th International Atlantic Economics Association Meeting. New York City.  October 12-13, 2018. Discussant: Economics Development.

“Sense of Community in Post-Industrial, Economically Diverse Pennsylvania” Pennsylvania Economic Association Annual Meeting. Altoona.  Discussant: Local Economic Development. June 1-2, 2018.

“Generational Differences in Attitude toward Income Redistribution in the Baltics: A Panel Analysis” Research in Economics and Business: Central and Eastern Europe Vol 5, No. 2 (April/May 2014).

Service to Albright:

Chair, Faculty Budget Subcommittee

Representative, Faculty Executive Committee

Representative to the Board of Trustees, Finance and Properties Committees

Faculty Advisor, Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity

Significant Past Service:

Co-Chair and Steering Committee Member, Middle States Accreditation Committee

Department Chair

Founding Advisor, Dearden Honor Society In Business

Community Service and Professional Activities:

Vice President of District Operations, Boy Scouts of America Hawk Mountain Council

National Service Territory Training Coordinator, Boy Scouts of America (serving 16 councils in 2 states)

Diversity Taskforce Listening Project Lead, Boy Scouts of America