Reynold F. Nesiba, Ph.D., M.A.

Biography 

Dr. Reynold F. Nesiba is an award-winning educator, scholar, textbook co-author, experienced study abroad leader and former 4-term SD State Senator (2017-25).

Nesiba serves as professor of economics at Augustana University, where he has taught since 1995. He regularly teaches Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, History of Economic Thought and Methodology, Intermediate Macroeconomics, as well as Money, Banking and Financial Institutions. He integrates an introduction to Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) into those last two courses. Nesiba’s teaching has been recognized by both the Augustana Student Association (ASA) Faculty Recognition Award and Vernon and Mildred Niebuhr Faculty Excellence Award.

His two co-authored textbooks, "An Introduction to Financial Markets and Institutions" and "Economics: An Introduction to Traditional and Progressive Views," are published by and available from Routledge. Nesiba’s individual and collaborative academic research has been published in a variety of journals including Social Problems, the Journal of Economic Issues, European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, the Journal of Urban Affairs, On the Horizon, Cityscape, the Review of Radical Political Economics and other edited volumes. His most recent co-authored publication, Cory Heidelberger, Teagan McNary & Reynold F. Nesiba (2025) “Have Recent Legislative Changes in South Dakota Made Using the Initiated Measure Process More Difficult?” 70 South Dakota Law Review 520 is available at red.library.usd.edu/sdlrev/vol70/iss3/11/.

He’s currently researching on 1.) legislative attempts to erode the initiated measure process and 2.) the benefits and pitfalls of earned wage access (EWA). At the Association for Institutional Thought (AFIT) Meetings, as part of the World Social Science Association (WSSA) 68th Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nesiba organized and will moderate and participate in a book panel: L. Randall Wray’s 2025 book, "Understanding Modern Money Theory: Money and Credit in Capitalist Economies" with Karol Gil-Vasquez, Liudmila Malyshava, Reynold F. Nesiba, William T. Waller and L. Randall Wray.

Nesiba has led or co-led 11 international travel seminar courses: Nicaragua: Faith and Hope (Spring Break 2004, 2006 and 2007) Australia in the Global Political Economy (January Term 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011), and Political Economy of Thailand (January Term 2013, 2014 and 2016) In 2016, Nesiba was elected to the South Dakota State Senate where he was re-elected three more times and served for four terms from 2017-25. In his last two years he served as South Dakota Senate Minority Leader.