Dr. Bill Christiansen

His energy knows no end.

Whether he's explaining the ever-changing ticks of the economy or delivering insights regarding inverted yield curves, Dr. William Christiansen keeps his popular Economic & Business Conditions class engaged.

One minute, Christiansen is conversing with a student about what consumer spending does to the real Gross Domestic Product. The next minute he's zipping across the room, chalk in hand, to illustrate the business cycle.

"I like interacting with students. I like watching students learn and sometimes struggle to understand concepts. It's just an interesting and rewarding process," said Christiansen, chairman of the finance department.

Students say he brings current economic issues to life, delving into news in The Wall Street Journal and providing historical context to today's headlines. They not only learn to comprehend market trends, but they also learn how to use economic indicators to predict what the market will do.

Reaching each student takes a tailored approach, Christiansen said. "Sometimes it takes humor, sometimes it takes a direct challenge, and sometimes it takes significant interaction outside the classroom," Christiansen has written about his teaching philosophy.

It's this kind of dedication and earnest teaching style that led to Christiansen receiving the Florida State's prestigious University Distinguished Teaching Award for 2008.