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About the Exploring Economic Freedom Project
The Exploring Economic Freedom Project provides a forum to explore how economic and political freedom promote entrepreneurship, economic development, prosperity, and peace. Through a public speaker series, reading and discussion colloquia, research, and civic dialogue, the Project helps students and the public better understand the role of freedom in a flourishing society.
Dr. Alexandre Padilla – Director 
The program is hosted at Metropolitan State University of Denver and organized by project director Dr. Alexandre Padilla. His research has been published in journals such as Public Choice, Contemporary Economic Policy, Constitutional Political Economy, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and European Journal of Political Economy. Professor Padilla teaches Law & Economics, Political Economy of Immigration, Managerial Economics, and Economic Policy Analysis.
Dr. Glenn Furton – Faculty Fellow
Glenn Furton is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Metropolitan State University of Denver since 2021. He earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Texas Tech University in 2018.
His research interests include Environmental Economics, Public Health, State Marijuana Legalization, and Immigration.
Dr. Chandler Reilly – Faculty Fellow
Chandler Reilly is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Metropolitan State University of Denver since Fall 2023. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University in 2023.
His research interests include Applied Microeconomics, Political Economy, Economic History, Defense and Peace Economics, Public Choice, and Constitutional Political Economy.
The Exploring Economic Freedom Project is generously funded by the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation (https://charleskochfoundation.org/). The Exploring Economic Freedom Project sponsors the Exploring Economic Freedom Lecture Series where eminent scholars are invited to talk about topics related to economic and political freedom. It also sponsors and co-sponsors reading colloquia where students are invited to discuss readings around a topic related to economic and political freedom from an inter-disciplinary perspective whether it be immigration, social change, populism, poverty, income inequality, etc.
Events Archive
Contact Dr. Padilla
The Director of the Exploring Economic Freedom Project is Dr. Alexandre Padilla (website: www.alexandrepadilla.com). Dr. Alexandre Padilla is a Professor and Chair of the Economics Department. He earned his B.S., M.A., and Doctorate in Economics from the University Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III in France. Alexandre Padilla has written on insider trading and corporate governance, immigrants’ institutional impact, the economic and institutional impact of Left populism in Latin America. His research has been published in journals such as Public Choice, Contemporary Economic Policy, Constitutional Political Economy, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and European Journal of Political Economy. Professor Padilla teaches Law & Economics, Political Economy of Immigration, Managerial Economics, and Economic Policy Analysis.