Beck A. Taylor

Beck A. Taylor began his tenure as the 19th president of Samford University, in Alabama, in July 2021. He returned to Samford after serving as the president of Whitworth University, since 2010. Prior to that appointment, Taylor served as dean and professor of economics for Samford’s Brock School of Business (2005–2010), and associate dean for research and faculty development for Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business (1997–2005). As a scholar, Taylor has published in economics journals such as Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Human Resources, and Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking. Illustrating his diverse research interests and his connections to the social sciences, Taylor also has published research in public health and child developmental psychology. His research has been cited in testimony given before the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the California State Assembly, and has been referenced in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Christian Science Monitor. Taylor is a member of numerous professional and academic organizations, and he has served as a strategic business consultant for dozens of organizations. After earning his undergraduate degree from Baylor with majors in economics and finance, Taylor was employed as an analyst for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in Houston, Texas. He went on to earn his MS and PhD in economics from Purdue University. After returning to the Baylor faculty, Taylor was named the first holder of the W.H. Smith Professorship in Economics. In 2002, he was appointed as a visiting scholar by Harvard University where he spent one year in residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is a former member of the CIC Board of Directors.