Assistant Professor, Special Purpose
Economics, Dept of
Kyle Hall 272
Box 6952
As a recent addition to the Department of Economics, I am excited to draw on my background as both an educator and a corporate professional. My goal has long been to make business and economics accessible to all students, regardless of their discipline. In fact, the more obscure the connection, the better! I believe learning should be highly interactive and tied directly to real-world outcomes. Whether through classroom simulations or tournament-style projects, I am passionate about helping young adults understand the economic forces shaping their world, and encouraging them to develop a sense of agency that extends beyond the classroom.
My recent research explores how young people perceive and expect to interact with housing markets, work that I am proud to say has received some national recognition. I find the topic of housing not only relatable across the masses, but one of a particular attachment. From the finance to the management, housing has strong interdisciplinary application.
Before joining the faculty at Radford, my career took me into the financial sector, where I gathered practical insights that I now bring directly into the classroom. Although I am a new face among the faculty, I am actually returning to this wonderful university having previously worked in Radford's Office of Budget and Financial Planning. Because of this history, I have a strong and lasting connection to both this campus and its community (Go Highlanders!).
When I’m not designing my next syllabus or figuring out how to weave a little dad humor into my lectures, my competitive spirit is sure to come out. You can usually find me trying to outduel my children in a variety of sports, fiercely defending my title at the foosball table, or squeezing in as much play time as I can with my three dogs.
Doctorate in Financial Planning, Housing, and Consumer Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Master in Business Administration, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance, St. Bonaventure University, Olean, NY
Engaged in experiential learning – including the creation of supporting course work and broad curriculum changes.
Associate Editor and Curator of Book Reviews for the Journal of Housing and Society.
Local nonprofit affiliation with the Sequoia Housing Partnership
Author of a 2026 Children’s book. “Finding a Home in any Career…”
COBE 171 – Introduction to Business
ECON 340 – Global Economy and Business
UNIV 100 – Introduction to Higher Education
Gawrys, M., Galford, G., Hwang, E., Tucker, L., & Yoo, J. (2026). Why study housing? A reflection on the past, present, and future of housing education. Housing and Society, 53(1), 4–18.
Galford, G., & Gawrys, M. (2025). Conference reflections on ‘Housing education and research: Now and the future. Housing and Society, 52(3), 241–242.
Gawrys, M. R., & Skobba, K. (2024). The socialization of adolescent housing awareness. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 52(4), 314-326.
Gawrys, M. R., & Skobba, K. (2024). Timing of Age-Supported Housing Education. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 116(4), 12-19.
Gawrys, M. R., & Carswell, A. T. (2020). Exploring the cost burden of rural rental housing. Journal of Rural Studies, 80, 372-379.
Hopkins, E. A., & Gawrys, M.R. (2026). Finding a home in any career: Property management (C. Clemente, Illus.). Palmetto Publishing.
Gawrys, M. (2026). Stuck: How the privileged and the propertied broke the engine of American opportunity: Appelbaum, Yoni (2025), New York: Random House, 320 pp., $32.00 (Hardcover) ISBN 9780593449295. Housing and Society, 1–2.
Gawrys, M. R. (2026). NIMBY the Clown Saves His Town: written by Will Johnston and illustrated by Jay Taylor, Palmetto Publishing, Charleston SC, 2023, 34 pp., $15.99, ISBN:9798822919891Paperback. Housing and Society, 53(1), 89–90.
Keene, B., & Gawrys, M. (2025). A paradise of small houses: the evolution, devolution, and potential rebirth of urban housing: by Max Podemski, Boston, Beacon Press, 2024, 286 pp., $29.95 (paperback), ISBN 9780807007785. Housing and Society, 52(3), 384–386.
Bittle, E., & Gawrys, M. R. (2025). The State of Housing Design 2023, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, edited by Sam Naylor, Daniel D’Oca and Chris Herbert: Cambridge MA, Harvard University Press, 2023, 184 pp., $30.00 (paperback), ISBN: 9780674294134. Housing and Society, 52(1), 106–108.
Tessie Agan Award, Housing Education and Research Association, 2023