Daphne Greenwood brings a fresh theory of economics to campus

Daphne Greenwood has been teaching UCCS students about the field of economics for the better part of 30 years. But this is not the dull, dry, formulaic economics that people are used to: Greenwood is part of a movement in economics that focuses on a holistic view of the world, rather than the cut-and-dry policies that currently drive our nation.

"Environmentalism is not separate from economics," she said.

In 2010, Greenwood worked with Richard P.F. Holt, a professor at Southern Oregon University, to publish a book titled, "Local Economic Development in the 21st Century: Quality of Life and Sustainability." This book is now one of the textbooks for ECON 3770, Economic Development.

Greenwood's ideas are a fusion of sustainability and economic theory. They are a fairly significant departure from "mainstream" economic theory.

"I'm more of an alternative economist– I'm more edgy."

According to Greenwood, our current focus on just the formulas of economics is flawed.

"Economics is not just about numbers, it's about people," she said. "The economy is there to serve people, not people to serve the economy."

She also believes that students are quite important to the local environment and economy.

"Students have a vote," she said. "Interested citizens are another arm of the legislature."

She fully supports the sustainability projects that the campus has moved forward with. In fact, sustainability is a major theme in her book. She said, "Students can have an impact on the environment now."

Greenwood's journey to her current view of economics started back in the 1970s. She had taken an introductory economics course, and found something very different than she had expected. "I was fascinated by it," she said. "It's a whole different way of looking at the world."

She was also concerned about the demographics of the economic field. "Women were very underrepresented," she said. "They still are."

Greenwood was invited to UCCS as a visiting professor in 1980, and two years later was asked to stay on as a permanent faculty member. She also spent a year at the Treasury Department in Washington D.C., and was a Professor of Honors at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Additionally, she has served two terms in the Colorado State House of Representatives, representing District 17 which encompasses southern Colorado Springs and Fort Carson.

This stint as a representative affected her view on economics. "[These experiences] broadened my interests in the economy," she said.

While many economists focus on efficiency, Greenwood believes that is the wrong way to look at it. "People are often more interested in fairness than in efficiency," she said