Alumni News: Tim Diette
Washington and Lee University has discovered something that we at Carolina have known for a while — Tim Diette is a good man to have around!
Tim joined the UNC Economics graduate program in 1997, and completed his MS degree in 1999. He then left Chapel Hill for a series of jobs in finance: Bank of America, Wachovia Bank, North Carolina Department of Revenue. Learning pulled him back, though; he returned to Carolina to complete his Ph.D. dissertation “The algebra obstacle: Access, race, and the math achievement gap” under the supervision of Professor Sandy Darity. He began as a visiting assistant professor at Washington and Lee prior to completing his degree, and has been a mainstay of their Economics Department ever since. He teaches courses in the areas of Health Economics and the Economics of Education, and conducts research in these areas as well.
Last July 1, he was named interim chair of the Economics Department. Beginning this July 1, Timothy Diette will become the new associate dean of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. The position oversees the overall operations, accreditation, curriculum and program development for the Williams School.
Unlike many academics, he welcomes the administrative positions. As he puts it, “The administrative roles provide a platform for me to better assist my colleagues in their teaching and research. I also can have a larger role in shaping the broader experience of students at W&L. Since I teach and research in the field of the Economics of Education, experiences in these positions will inform my teaching as well as allow me to apply empirical findings to policy discussions.”
He is also an affiliate faculty member in both Africana Studies Program and the Shepherd Poverty Program, and helped create and serves as an advisor to students for the Education Policy minor.
When asked about the differences between Chapel Hill and his home in Lexington, VA, he says “While Lexington and Chapel Hill are both beautiful college towns, Lexington is the tiny college town where traffic is when you have to wait at the traffic light and if your kids do anything wrong in public you will hear about it before the end of the day. I do miss the character of Franklin Street, Chapel Hill’s larger variety of restaurants, and going to games played by our national champion basketball team!”
We are proud of Timothy Diette’s achievements and we wish him the best in his new position!