Assistant Dean, Outreach & Engagement; Director, Bureau of Business & Economic Research; and Associate Professor, WVU
By Jennifer Jett Prezkop
A child of the ‘80S, John Deskins remembers listening to Quiet Riot and imagining what it would be like to be a rock star. Though not quite how he envisioned, his dream of becoming an icon has come true. As the director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), assistant dean for outreach and engagement and associate professor of economics at West Virginia University (WVU), he is the go-to expert on all things economics in West Virginia. Widely respected as a reliable source, he is regularly quoted in newspapers, interviewed on radio and TV shows and has contributed to national media segments.
Growing up in southwestern Virginia, Deskins was unaware of the opportunities that awaited him with an economics degree. He was a freshman at Emory & Henry College when he stumbled upon the first of two basic economics classes that opened his eyes to the potential the field holds.
“My two economics professors were absolutely outstanding teachers, and they showed me how useful, practical, widely applicable and valuable economics is for understanding the world and helping solve the problems we face,” he says.
After graduating in 2000, Deskins entered the Ph.D. program at the University of Tennessee, where he became a graduate teaching associate and then a graduate research assistant. In 2005, he joined Creighton University as an assistant professor of economics, and in 2013, he came to WVU to serve as an economics professor and the director of the BBER. Since then, he has also been named assistant dean.
Being an expert in economics allows Deskins to have a major impact on a state whose economy continuously struggles. He gives about 40 presentations a year with the intention of providing useful information to policymakers and community leaders who are working on improving the Mountain State. In addition, he organizes the Economic Outlook Conference series, where he presents helpful information on the state’s economy and where it is headed.
Committed to helping WVU achieve its mission of creating a culture that advances education, health care and prosperity for all, Deskins serves as chair of the College Awards of Distinction’s review committee and as a member of the John Chambers College of Business and Economics Senior Management Group and the West Virginia Forward working group. As president-elect of the Association of University Business & Economic Research, also known as AUBER, he is responsible for planning the organization’s fall conference, and as president, he will be charged with establishing the long-term vision of the organization. He also oversees the Encova Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which promotes small business in West Virginia.
Deskins also commits time to working with government officials for the betterment of the state. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and the West Virginia Legislature, as well as the Public Service Commission of West Virginia. He also serves as an informal consultant to the West Virginia Development Office, where he assists with helping its staff understand underlying economic data and issues related to their efforts to attract businesses to the Mountain State.
“West Virginia has given me—and continues to give me—enormous happiness, and I owe it to the state to do what I can to help promote a higher quality of life here,” he says. “Our elected leaders cannot be experts in every field. It’s a great responsibility being entrusted to provide that information to them as they make decisions, and I love doing it.”
Deskins has fully embraced the Mountain State as his home, and the passion he has for seeing West Virginia prosper inspires him every day.
“I love this place,” he says. “It’s sad to see our state not do as well as it should because of all our problems. This wonderful place shouldn’t be this way. These challenges are hard to overcome, but they’re not insurmountable. It is a huge privilege and an honor to be in a position to help improve the lives of West Virginians.”
