Dr. Michael R. Ward teaches courses in managerial economics, economics of strategy, causal inference and digital business transformation. He has spent more than two decades in academia, holding positions at the University of Illinois and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). He is currently a professor of economics in the Business School at UTA and a research associate in digital economy at Zentrum f�r Europ�ische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany. Prior to returning to academia, Dr. Ward served as an economist at the Federal Trade Commission. Dr. Ward's research focuses on the economics of information technology, especially competition and innovation in video games. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics from UCLA and his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. His research has appeared in Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Law and Economics, Research Policy, Technological Forecasting and Social Change as well as New Media and Society.