Rate My Professor Steve Ha

Dr. Inhyuck "Steve" Ha is a Professor of Economics in the College of Business at Western Carolina University, where he serves as Director of the School of Economics, Management, and Project Management and has directed the MBA Program since 2010. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (1999), an M.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1993), an M.A. in Economics from Yonsei University (1989), and a B.A. in Economics from Yonsei University (1987). Ha joined Western Carolina University in 2003 as Assistant Professor of Economics, advancing to Associate Professor in 2009. Prior roles include Forecasting Program Director at the University of West Florida Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development (2001-2003) and various research associate and fellow positions at the University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and Department of Applied Economics (1998-2001).

His research specializations include the economics of discrimination, spatial econometrics, community economic development, economic impact analysis, tourism economics, and econometric modeling, with over 20 years of work on racial discrimination issues such as DBE goal-setting and disparity studies. Current projects address affirmative action in public procurement and labor market discrimination. Key publications feature the book "Race Neutrality: Rationalizing Remedies to Racial Inequality" (2018), "An examination of the impact of health insurance enrollment in reducing racial health disparities" (2023), "Cultural differences and McDonald's: a multi-country comparative study" (2022), "From Biltmore Estate to Biltmore Winery" (Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 2014), and "How to Revitalize a Small Rural Town? An Empirical Study of the Effect of a Casino on Resident Quality of Life and the Town's Economic Vitality" (Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2014). In 2025, his study "Economic and Fiscal Impact of Medicaid and SNAP Benefits in Jackson County, North Carolina" revealed a $144 million total economic impact, including 1,211 jobs and significant tax revenues, from a $770,000 county investment, influencing local policy advocacy for social services.