Dr. Michael Toma, Director

Dr. Michael Toma is an economist specializing in urban and regional economic analysis. He joined Armstrong Atlantic State University in 1997 after having previously worked at two regional planning commissions in Virginia. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

In 2000, he was appointed as the director of AASU's Center for Regional Analysis. He has authored or co-authored over twenty manuscripts on regional economic activity and has been awarded grant funds totaling over $300,000. His applied research includes studies of regional economic conditions and forecasting, market and tourism studies, economic impact analysis, and survey-based research on consumer satisfaction, expenditure patterns, and attitudes toward to tobacco use and use prevention. Savannah's Business Report and Journal named him as one of "40 under 40" notable Savannahians for 2003. The following year, Georgia Trend magazine selected him as one of Georgia's best and brightest Georgians under 40.

Dr. Toma's academic research interests are regional economics, monetary and macroeconomics, and public choice. He has published articles in journals such as the Atlantic Economic Journal, International Review of Economics and Business, Journal of Economics and Finance Education, and the Indian Journal of Economics. He serves on the editorial board of the Southern Business Review and Applied Research in Economic Development, and is an active member of the Academy of Economics and Finance.