Dirk Mateer earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Florida State University in 1991. He is currently a Senior Lecturer and a Director of the Undergraduate Studies Program in Economics at Penn State University, where he regularly teaches large principles sections. He is the author of Economics in the Movies (South-Western, 2005).

Jason Altmire, a 1990 graduate of the College of Social Sciences, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. During his time in Congress, Jason has worked hard to tackle the issues that are important to the hard-working people of western Pennsylvania, including veterans, health care, and small business issues.