About Me

I’m originally from Clover, South Carolina, just a short drive from Charlotte. My favorite pastime is walking with my wife, Emily, and identifying plants along the way (I recommend checking out the PlantNet Plant Identification app). I also really enjoy reading. At the moment, my current favorite nonfiction book is A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States, 1961–2021 by Alan S. Blinder. For fiction lovers, I recommend The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Other activities I enjoy include doing research, kayaking, playing basketball, and playing online games with friends from across the United States.

I discovered my passion for teaching as a peer tutor when I was an undergraduate student at Winthrop University. After getting married in 2018, Emily and I pursued this passion by joining the U.S. Peace Corps. We spent two years teaching English in Dornod --- the easternmost province of Mongolia --- where we worked closely with the Dornod Department of Education and two local schools.

After returning to the U.S., we moved to Morgantown, West Virginia, where I completed my M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics at West Virginia University. While there, I enjoyed attending Mountaineer football games (go 'eers!) and hosting table tennis tournaments. 

I am now an Assistant Professor of Economics at Winthrop University, my alma mater. Emily and I live in Rock Hill, South Carolina, with our daughter (Laurie) and two cats (Nala and Maui). Feel free to reach out (tsiukesa@winthrop.edu) if you're ever in the Rock Hill area!