William Van Lear is a tenured full professor of economics at Belmont Abbey College, a private liberal arts Catholic college located near Charlotte, North Carolina. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986 and a B.A. in Economics from Gettysburg College in 1980. His teaching specializations include macro-financial economics, political economy, economic history, and international economics. Professor Van Lear has won three teaching awards, has served as head of the College's Faculty Assembly, and serves on two community non-profit boards. His first book is entitled A Populist Challenge to Corporate Capitalism published by World Scientific Publishing Company in 2002.