Meet Our Faculty
Dedicated Educators Inspiring Future Leaders with Expert Knowledge
Economics faculty at COCC are well-known for their broad expertise, personalized advising, and approachable teaching styles. These professionals share their extensive knowledge and practical insights with their students, helping them to make connections between economic ideas and the wider world. COCC Economics faculty proudly work hard to ensure their students’ successes in their chosen fields of study.
Advising Faculty Profiles
Abhay "Aby" Ghiara
Assistant Professor II
Email: aghiara@cocc.edu
Aby is a seasoned economist known for his passion for applying economic principles to effect positive change. With three decades of professional experience across four continents, his heart lies in empowering disadvantaged communities. Having worked in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and the slums of Mumbai, Aby's commitment to social betterment is immediately evident in the classroom.
"I love sensitizing my students to the profound need for and the excitement involved in the practical work of applying economics to help others, especially those who are less fortunate than ourselves," says Aby.
Rooted in a family legacy of teaching, and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Aby's academic journey includes a master's degree in economics from Northwestern University, where he was a teaching assistant for Robert Eisner, former president of the American Economic Association. He served as a senior professor at DeVry University and a lecturer at Northwestern University.
Aby is a lifetime member of the Fulbright Association and has been a Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Scholar. As a peer reviewer for both the Fulbright Commission and the United States-India Educational Foundation, he worked to shape educational policies.
As an educator, Aby encapsulates the ethos of compassionate economics: "I love to teach from my real-world experience working with disadvantaged and marginalized communities worldwide."