Dr. Haiyong Liu appointed Associate Dean for Faculty Success and Research at McCoy College

SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business has appointed Dr. Haiyong Liu as associate dean for faculty success and research. He brings more than two decades of experience in academic leadership, research, and higher education to the role.

Liu, a professor of economics, served as chair of the Department of Finance and Economics since joining Texas State in 2022. During his time as chair, he helped develop the department’s research culture, advance its academic programs, and manage its resource allocation during a period of rapid growth at the college and university.

In his new role, Liu plans to focus on creating an environment in which faculty have the resources and support to excel in teaching, research, and service, while strengthening McCoy College’s broader research mission. As Texas State continues its Run to R1 initiative, which refers to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which designates universities with "very high research activity,” he also hopes to build research productivity, support external funding opportunities, and increase the visibility and impact of faculty scholarship.

“McCoy College has an outstanding faculty whose work contributes meaningfully to student success, business education, and cutting-edge research,” Liu said. “I am excited to work with faculty across the college to strengthen research productivity, support external funding efforts, and elevate the visibility of the excellent work already taking place here.”

Before joining Texas State, Liu spent nearly 20 years at East Carolina University, where he served as a professor and chair of the Department of Economics. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Economic Geography from Peking University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Liu’s research focuses on health and labor economics and the application of econometrics to public policy analysis. He has received funding for his research from organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the Duke Endowment.

His research has also been published in several leading academic journals, including the Journal of Econometrics, the Journal of Development Economics, the International Economic Review, and the Journal of Empirical Finance.

As he transitions to the associate dean role, Liu will step down as chair of the Department of Finance and Economics. Dr. Andrew Ojede, associate professor of economics and the Dean Paul R. Gowens Excellence Professor in Business, has been appointed interim chair of the department. ✯