Colin Cannonier
Director of Faculty Fellows Program, Professor of Economics
Jack C. Massey College of Business
Ph.D. - Louisiana State University, Economics M.Sc. - Louisiana State University, Economics M. A. - Williams College, Development Economics B.Sc. - University of the West Indies (Mona), Business, Economics and Social Statistics
Location: Barbara Massey Hall 340
615-460-6333colin.cannonier@belmont.edu
Biography
Dr. Colin Cannonier is an economist whose research explores the intersections of education, health, labor, and public policy, focusing on economic mobility, labor market disparities, and broader policy challenges affecting individual and societal well-being. His work spans workforce development, reentry programs, financial literacy, sports, and the economic impact of tourism, particularly in small island economies. His research not only advances scholarly understanding but also informs policy discussions on labor and economic development.
As co-editor of Contemporary Issues within Caribbean Economies, Dr. Cannonier has contributed to discussions on economic challenges and opportunities in the region. His research has been published in journals such as the American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, Economic Modelling, Economics of Education Review, Journal of Labor Research, Review of Economics of the Household, Journal of Demographic Economics, Journal of Sports Economics, and Health Economics, Policy and Law. His work has also been featured in Harvard Business Review and UNESCO.
Dr. Cannonier’s scholarship has been recognized with the Belmont University Faculty Scholarship Award, which honors faculty members for outstanding intellectual and creative scholarly work. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, an internationally recognized program that fosters academic exchange and research collaboration, and a WorkRise grant from The Urban Institute to study pathways to economic mobility and labor market inequities. In addition, he has received the RDW Fellowship from the International Labour Organization (ILO). His research has been presented at leading conferences, including the American Economic Association, Southern Economic Association, European Economic Association, and the National Bureau of Economic Research Summer Institute, as well as at prestigious institutions such as the London School of Economics, the Paris School of Economics, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and various central banks.
A research fellow and Country Lead for St. Kitts and Nevis at the Global Labor Organization (GLO), Dr. Cannonier is actively engaged in global labor market research. He also serves on the editorial review boards of The Review of Black Political Economy and Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies.
Beyond academia, Dr. Cannonier has experience in economic policy and financial analysis. He worked as an IMF-trained Balance of Payments Statistician and Economist at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, where he assisted national BOP compilers in member countries and contributed to development work in balance of payments. Additionally, he served as the Country Economist for Anguilla, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, providing economic analysis and policy recommendations.
Dr. Cannonier has played an active role in public policy discussions as an economic advisor to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, offering insights on economic growth, labor market policies, and education reform. In recognition of his expertise, he was invited to deliver the keynote address at the Prime Minister’s Independence Lecture Series for St. Kitts and Nevis. In addition to his academic and policy contributions, Dr. Cannonier has the distinction of having represented St. Kitts in both soccer and cricket, as well as playing professional cricket for the Leeward Islands, a sub-region of the Caribbean.
- Director of Faculty Fellows Program, Belmont University
- Associate Professor of Economics, Belmont University
- Assistant Professor of Economics, Belmont University
- Mentor, American Economic Association Mentoring Program (AEAMP)
- Liaison, American Economic Association Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (AEA CSWEP)
- Fellow and Country Lead for St. Kitts and Nevis, Global Labor Organization (GLO)
- Board Member, National Economic Association
- Board member for non-profit educational institutions
- Fellow and Country Lead for St. Kitts and Nevis, Global Labor Organization (GLO)
- Editorial Review Board
- The Review of Black Political Economy
- Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies
- Faculty Affiliate, Western Kentucky University
- Instructor, Louisiana State University
- Economist and Statistician, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
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Ph.D. - Louisiana State University, Economics
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M.Sc. - Louisiana State University, Economics
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M.A. - Williams College, Development Economics
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B.Sc. - University of the West Indies (Mona), Business, Economics and Social Statistics
Book
- Contemporary Issues Within Caribbean Economies, co-edited with Monica Galloway Burke. New York, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98865-4
Peer Reviewed Journals
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“Trust during troubled times: Evidence from Sierra Leone's Ebola epidemic” with Monica Galloway Burke. Economic Modelling, 2025, Volume 144, 107004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2024.107004.
- “Anxiety, Test-Taking Aid, and Test Scores: Evidence from Economics Classes” with Monica Galloway Burke. AEA Papers and Proceedings, May 2023, Volume 113, pp. 519-523. https://doi.org/10.1257/pandp.20231049.
- “The Impact of a Reentry and Aftercare Program on Recidivism” with Monica Galloway Burke and Ed Mitchell (GLO Discussion Paper No. 732). Review of Black Political Economy, February 2021, Volume 48, Issue 1, pp. 93-122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034644620973931.
- “Smoking, Health and Academic Outcomes – Evidence from a Limited Smoking Campus Policy” with Monica Galloway Burke and Kathryn Steward. Health Economics, Policy and Law, April 2019, Volume 14, Issue 2, pp. 205-230. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744133118000245.
- “The economic growth impact of tourism in Small Island Developing States—evidence from the Caribbean” with Monica Galloway Burke. Tourism Economics, February 2019, Volume 25, Issue 1, pp. 85-108. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816618792792.
- “Do Crib Sheets Improve Student Performance on Tests? Evidence from Principles of Economics” with Kara Smith. International Review of Economics Education, January 2019, Volume 30, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2018.08.003.
- “The Impact of Education on Women’s Preferences for Gender Equality: Evidence from Sierra Leone” with Naci Mocan (NBER Working Paper No: 18016). Journal of Demographic Economics, March 2018, Volume 84, Issue 1, pp. 3-40. https://doi.org/10.1017/dem.2016.12.
- “Tourism and financial development in small states - Evidence from Caribbean countries” with Monica Galloway Burke. Tourism Economics, September 2017, Volume 23, Issue 6, pp. 1369-1377. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816617689870.
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“Tourism and financial development in small states - Evidence from Caribbean countries” with Monica Galloway Burke. Tourism Economics, September 2017, Volume 23, Issue 6, pp. 1369-1377. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816617689870.
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“20-Over Versus 50-Over Cricket: Is There a Difference?” with Bibhudutta Panda and Sudipta Sarangi. Journal of Sports Economics, October 2015, Volume 16, Issue 7, pp. 760-783. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002513505284.
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“Does the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) increase Fertility Behavior?” Journal of Labor Research, June 2014, Volume 35, Issue 2, pp. 105 - 132, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-014-9181-9.
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“State Abstinence Education Programs and Teen Birth Rates in the U.S.,” Review of Economics of the Household, March 2012, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp. 53-75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-011-9131-8.
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“The Impact of Education on Health Knowledge,” with Naci Mocan and Duha Altindag (NBER Working Paper No: 16422). Economics of Education Review, October 2011, Volume 30, Issue 5, pp. 792-812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.031.
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“Foreign Direct Investment and Trade in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union” with Brian Francis and Troy Lorde. Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies, March 2007, Volume 32, Issue 3, pp. 23-49.
Book chapters
- “Recidivism” with Luke Petach and Monica Galloway Burke in Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics, edited by Klaus F. Zimmermann. New York: Springer, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_293-1.
- “Remittances and Financial Development in Caribbean Countries” with Marcus Bansah in Contemporary Issues Within Caribbean Economies, edited by Colin Cannonier and Monica Galloway Burke. New York, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98865-4_9.
- “The Impact of education on Household Decision Making Among Women: Evidence from Sierra Leone” with Monica Galloway Burke in The Palgrave Handbook of Africa's Economic Sectors, edited by Evelyn F. Wamboye and Bichaka Fayissa. Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75556-0_10.
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“Free Primary Education in Sierra Leone and Its Impact on Literacy Rates” with Monica Galloway Burke in Transforming Public Education in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, edited by Cynthia Szymanski Sunal, Kagendo Mutua and Oluseyi Matthew Odebiyi. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, 2019.
- “Is Higher Education Worth the Investment? Examining the Economic and Social Returns” with Monica Galloway Burke and Aaron Hughey in Colleges at the Crossroads: Taking Sides on Contested Issues, edited by Joseph L. DeVitis and Pietro A. Sasso. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, 2018.
Other Contribution
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“Addressing Student Anxiety and Test Taking Challenges” with Monica Galloway Burke. EconEdNews, Fall 2024, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp. 4-5. https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=21556. (Special Feature; Peer reviewed)
- Fulbright Scholarship
- RDW Fellowship, International Labour Organization (ILO)
- WorkRise Grant, Urban Institute
- Scholarship Award Winner, Belmont University
- Travel Award, American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon)
- Fellowship, Diversity Initiative for Tenure in Economics (DITE), Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Duke University
- Travel Grant, Teaching Center, Belmont University
- Summer Research Grant, College of Business, Belmont University
- Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship for graduate studies at Williams College
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