Rate My Professor Mary Merva

Mary Merva is Professor of Economics within the Business & Economics faculty at John Cabot University in Rome, a position she has held since 1996, having joined the institution in 1994. She earned BA degrees in Economics and Geography from California State University, Long Beach in 1982, an MA in Economics from Rutgers University in 1985, a PhD in Economics from Rutgers University in 1989, and a Laurea in Scienze Economiche (equipollenza) from Università di Siena in 1995. In 2006, she obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Her academic career includes teaching economics at the graduate level at Jilin University in China (1985-1986), instructor roles at Rutgers University, University of Connecticut, and State University of New York at Purchase (1986-1990), and Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Utah (1990-1996), where she received the Superior Teaching Award from the College of Social and Behavioral Science and contributed to a televised economics course broadcast statewide for nearly a decade. At John Cabot University, Merva advanced to Dean of Academic Affairs (2007-2010), Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs (2010-2021), and Vice President of Academics (2021-present). She directed the AACSB accreditation for the Frank J. Guarini School of Business (2016-2022), co-chaired the 2018 Middle States self-study, and serves as a Commissioner for the Council on Higher Education of the Kurdistan Accrediting Association for Education (KAAE). With nearly two decades of experience in U.S. (MSCHE, AACSB) and U.K. (QAA) accreditations, she teaches courses in economics, finance, and quantitative methods.

Merva's research specialization is applied economics, reflected in influential publications such as “Effective Information, Political Structure, and Economic Growth” with Simona Costagli and Adrian Stoian (Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, 2021), “Grades as Incentives: A Quantitative Assessment with Implications for Study Abroad Programs” (Journal of Studies in International Education, 2003), “Wage Inequality and Criminal Activity: An Extreme Bounds Analysis for the United States, 1975-1990” with Richard Fowles (Criminology, 1996), “Achieving Diversity and Excellence without the US Infrastructure” (book chapter in American Universities Abroad, 2017), and “Asymmetric Information, Big Data, and Algorithmic Economic Decision-Making” (2025). She has authored works on unbalanced growth dynamics, economic opportunities and social stress, and contributed multiple book reviews on Asian economics in the Journal of Asian Economics (2005-2007). Recognized as John Cabot University Teacher of the Year in 2012 by graduating students, Merva has presented on topics including EMU costs, grades as incentives, and AI's future impact, enhancing her influence in economic education and policy analysis.