UNC students will miss economics professor Ralph Byrns

On the steps of Gardner Hall, students chat with economics professor Ralph Byrns, who is perched on the concrete wall.

It’s a scene that has become common over the years, but this will be the last year he watches the leaves change from his spot in Chapel Hill.

In June, Byrns and his wife, Patricia, plan to move to the Phoenix, Ariz., area to be closer to family members because she has become ill.

Many in the University community have said he will be missed.

“He has been one of our most valuable faculty members,” said economics professor and former Department Chair John Akin. “I think a lot of students will remember him when he is gone.”

Byrns said he has grown especially fond of UNC, compared to other universities at which he has taught.

“I love the students here,” he said. “I love what I’m doing. I think I’ve got one of the world’s best jobs.

“This sounds odd for an economist, but I am more concerned about the welfare of my students than about my own welfare,” Byrns added. “Students are young and have lots of things ahead of them.”

Having taught a variety of courses at the University since 2001, Byrns said he has always emphasized to students the importance of prioritizing goals.

“I don’t think it is your major that matters. It’s about what you can do with who you are,” he said. “But the critical thing is you have to pick one. Do something, it doesn’t matter what, just do it.”

Senior Class President Liz Deane, an economics and peace, war and defense double major, had Byrns for the honors section of ECON 101 her fall semester as a freshman.

“I wasn’t even thinking about majoring in economics, but he was so enthusiastic about the subject that I just wanted to learn more,” she said. “I have never had a class where the professor cared so much about the subject.

“Byrns had a flair for making the number-filled study of economics into things that really mattered to students,” she added.

Sophomore Abby Harrill said his concern for students reaches outside the classroom.

“I met him one time and he knew my name the rest of the semester,” Harrill said. “Even a year later, he made an effort to stop me and ask how my ECON 410 class was going.”

Byrns said he will teach at Arizona State University, his alma mater, but he won’t take on as many students.

“This is very hard for me because I would like to teach every imaginable course,” he said.

Ever the economist, Byrns said he will be living in a $1.45 million house he purchased for $380,000.

“We bought it at an incredibly low price because the Phoenix real estate market has tanked,” he said.

And as he takes his next step in life, he urged students to simplify preparations for their future.

“What does matter is by the time you finish college, you know how to read critically, think analytically, write clearly, speak in front of a group, do a little bit of math and work your butt off,” said Byrns.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.