Associate Director and Professor of Higher Education Dr. Robert Toutkoushian, Associate Director of the McBee Institute and Professor of Higher Education, holds a Ph.D. in economics from Indiana University and specializes in the application of economic theories and quantitative methods to problems in higher education. Prior to joining the McBee Institute in 2009, Dr. Toutkoushian held a faculty position in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Indiana University, he worked as a research analyst at the University of Minnesota, and also as executive director of the Office of Policy Analysis at the University System of New Hampshire. Professor Toutkoushian has published more than sixty studies in peer-reviewed journals and edited books on topics including faculty compensation, student demand for higher education, finance, and policy analysis. More recently, along with Mike Paulsen, he published the book Economics of Higher Education: Background, Concepts, and Applications (Springer, 2016). Dr. Toutkoushian is currently involved in an analysis of educator pension plans, a study of the success of first-generation college students, a study of the determinants of excess revenues for colleges, and a study of how students define the markets that they consider for going to college. He is also editor of the journal Research in Higher Education, which is regarded as one of the leading journals in the field of higher education. Curriculum Vitae: Curriculum Vitae (revised 01/2023) (182.11 KB) Contact Information Email: rtoutkou@uga.edu Education Education: Ph.D., Economics, Indiana University (fields of specialization: econometrics, finance) M.A., Economics, Indiana University B.A., Economics, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Research Research Interests: Dr. Toutkoushian is currently involved in an analysis of educator pension plans, a study of the success of first-generation college students, a study of the determinants of excess revenues for colleges, and a study of how students define the markets that they consider for going to college. Grants: Principal Investigator, Factors Influencing Employee’s Choice of Retirement Benefit Plan: A Mixed Method Study, TIAA Institute. Grant received to study the retirement choices made by postsecondary employees in the State of Georgia. Duration: September 1, 2016 to March 1, 2018. Grant total: $44,000. Principal Investigator, How Parental Education Shapes the Postsecondary Plans and Outcomes of Students, National Center for Education Statistics and Association for Institutional Research. Grant received for analysis of the influence of different levels of parental education on whether students go to college and earn a degree. Duration: October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. Grant total: $38,500. Co-Principal Investigator, An Examination of the Impact of Retirement Benefits on Educational Leaders’ Career Choices, Indiana Department of Education. Grant received for analysis on the effects of superintendent benefits on career choices of school leaders in Indiana. Duration: July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. Grant total: $89,659. Principal Investigator, A Panel Data Approach to Adequacy in Education for K-12 Public Schools, Indiana University. Proffitt grant received for analysis of educational adequacy funding of Indiana public school districts. Duration: July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006, July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. Grant total: $40,000. Principal Investigator, Extending Indiana’s Capacity for School Finance Analysis, Indiana Department of Education. Grant received for analysis and research on Indiana’s foundation program for providing financial support for public schools in the state. Duration: July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007. Grant total: $260,000. Principal Investigator, Extending Indiana’s Capacity for School Finance Analysis, Indiana Department of Education. Grant received for analysis and research on Indiana’s foundation program for providing financial support for public schools in the state. Duration: January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. Grant total: $200,000. Principal Investigator, Faculty Careers: Gender, Race, and Family Differences, National Center for Education Statistics and Association for Institutional Research. Grant received for analysis on salary equity issues for faculty based on gender, race, and family status. Duration: July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. Grant total: $30,000. Selected Publications Toutkoushian, R., Riffe, K., Sanford, P., & Ness, E. (in press). How do faculty select between defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans? A qualitative investigation. Forthcoming, Journal of Education Finance. Toutkoushian, R., & Raghav, M. (2021). Estimated profit: A look at the excess revenues of private four-year nonprofit postsecondary institutions. Education Finance and Policy, 16, 125-145. Toutkoushian, R. (2019). What affects the choice of retirement plans among faculty? Evidence from the University System of Georgia. Journal of the Professoriate, 10, 101-123. Toutkoushian, R. K., May-Trifiletti, J. A., & Clayton, A. B. (2019). From “first in family” to “first to finish”: does college graduation vary by how first-generation college status is defined? Educational Policy 35, 481-521. Shafiq, M., Toutkoushian, R., & Valerio, A. (2019). Who benefits from higher education in low- and middle-income economies? Journal of Development Studies, 55, 2403-2423. DesJardins, S., Hossler, D., Toutkoushian, R., & Chen, J. (2019). Time may change me: Examining how aspirations for college evolve during high school. The Review of Higher Education, 43, 263-294. Toutkoushian, R., Stollberg, R., & Slaton, K. (2018). Talking ‘bout my generation: defining ‘first-generation college students’ in higher education research. Teachers College Record, 120, 1-38. Toutkoushian, R., & Lee, J. (2018). Revisiting economies of scale and scope in higher education. In M. Paulsen (Ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research, volume XXXIII (pp. 371-416). The Netherlands: Springer. Gandara, D., & Toutkoushian, R. (2017). Updated estimates of the average financial return on master’s degree programs in the United States. Journal of Education Finance, 43, 21-44. Warshaw, J., Toutkoushian, R., & Choi, H. (2017). Does the reputation of a faculty member’s graduate programme and institution matter for labour market outcomes? Journal of Education and Work, 30, 793-812. Harding, J., Parker, M., & Toutkoushian, R. (2017). Deciding about college: how soon is soon enough? Teachers College Record, 119, 1-40. Courses Taught Courses Regularly Taught: EDHI 8410 EDHI 8910 EDHI 8920 EDHI 8400
