Matthew Owens is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Northern Michigan University. Originally from northern Virginia, he received a B.S. in Economics and Mathematics in 2020, a M.A. in Economics in 2022, and a Ph.D. in Economics in 2025: all from his alma mater of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His research interests include Austrian economics, defense and peace economics, history of economic thought, and political economy. As such, his interest in economics his been shaped by a long tradition of economists including Adam Smith, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, James Buchanan, and many others. This can be seen with his dissertation, overseen by Dr. Christopher Coyne, being on the historical views of individuals within the classical liberal tradition on war, imperialism, militarism, and alternatives.
Outside of academia, he is interested in learning more about history, politics, and theology, as well as how each of these intersect with each other and with economics from the classical liberal tradition. He is also a fan of NFL teams like the Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, and the Kansas City Chiefs.