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Roger Koppl

Roger Koppl

Professor of Finance

315-443-4535
Room: 612
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PhD, Auburn University (Economics)
MA, New York University (Economics)
BA, Cleveland State University (Economics and Mathematics)

Roger Koppl is Professor of Finance in the Whitman School of Management of Syracuse University, Associate Director of the Whitman School's Institute for an Entrepreneurial Society, and a faculty fellow in the University’s Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute. Koppl has served on the faculty of the Copenhagen Business School, Auburn University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Auburn University at Montgomery. He has held visiting positions with New York University, George Mason University, University of Vaasa, and the Max Planck Institute of Economics. Professor Koppl is a past president of the Society for the Development of Austrian Economics and a former editor of Advances in Austrian Economics.



Koppl’s research interests include the economic theory of experts, the theory of economic growth, complexity theory, and the production and distribution of knowledge in society. His work on forensic science reform has been featured in Forbes magazine, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Reason magazine, Slate, The Huffington Post, and other outlets. His work on expert failure has been featured in The Sunday Telegraph, The Times of Israel, Il Sole 24 Ore, Arizona Daily, The Critic, Real Clear Policy, and other outlets.



Koppl's Erdös number is 3.
Koppl’s research interests include the economic theory of experts, the theory of economic growth, complexity theory, and the production and distribution of knowledge in society.

Selected Publications
  • "Against Expertism", Review of Behavioral Economics, 8(3-4), 361-377, 2021
  • "Expert failure and pandemics: On adapting to life with pandemics", Cosmos + Taxis, 9(5-6), 7-17, 2021 (with Murphy, J., Devereaux, A., Goodman, N.)
  • "Scheall on the Epistemic Limits of Policy", Cosmos + Taxis, 9(3-4), 23-34, 2021
  • "On the emergence of ecological and economic niches", Journal of Bioeconomics, 22(2), 99-127, 2020 (with Cazzolla Gatti, R., Fath, B., Kauffman, S., Hordijk, W., Ulanowicz, R.)
  • "Letter to the Editor: Do Court-Assessed Fees Induce Laboratory Contingency Bias in Crime Laboratories?", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 65(5), 1793-1794, 2020
  • "Letter to the Editor: Reply to Biedermann and Gittelson", Science & justice; Formerly known as journal of the Forensic Science Society, 59(4), 467-469, 2019
  • "Leland Bennett Yeager: 1924–2018", Independent Review, The, 23(3), 435-442, 2019
  • " Response Paper (in “Symposium on Roger Koppl’s Expert Failure”)", Cosmos + Taxis, 7(1-2), 73-84, 2019
  • "Strategic Choice in Linear Sequential Unmasking", Science & justice; Formerly known as journal of the Forensic Science Society, 59(2), 166-171, 2019
  • "Appropriate standards for verification and validation of probabilistic genotyping systems", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 63(1), 339-340, 2018 (with Adams, N., Krane, D., Thompson, W., Zabell, S.)
  • "Still Against Design: A Response to Steven Calabresi, Sanford Levinson and Vernon Smith", Arizona State Law Journal , 48(1), 241-248, 2016 (with Devins, C., Kauffman, S., Felin, T.)
  • "Against Design", Arizona State Law Journal , 47(3), 609-681, 2015 (with Devins, C., Stuart, K., Teppo, F.)
  • "Do Observer Effects Matter? A Comment on Langenburg, Bochet, and Ford", Forensic Science Policy & Management: An International Journal, 6(1-2), 1-6, 2015 (with David, C., Irving, K., Dan, K., Michael, R., Christopher, R., Michael, S., William, T.)
  • "Economics for a creative world", Journal of Institutional Economics, 11(1 ), 1–31, 2015 (with KAUFFMAN, S., FELIN, T., LONGO, G.)
  • "Economics for a creative world: a response to comments", Journal of Institutional Economics, 11(1 ), 61-68, 2015 (with KAUFFMAN, S., FELIN, T., LONGO, G.)
  • "Economic Opportunity and Evolution: Beyond Landscapes and Bounded Rationality", Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 8(4), 269–282, 2014 (with Felin, T., Kauffman, S., Longo, G.)
  • "The Criminal Justice System Creates Incentives for False Convictions", Criminal Justice Ethics, 32(2), 126-162, 2013 (with Sacks, M.)
  • "Using procedural justice to understand, explain, and prevent decision-making errors in forensic sciences", Organization Management Journal, 10(2), 99-109, 2013 (with Behson, S.)
  • "Speaking of experts: An introduction to the volume", Advances in Austrian Economics, 17, 1-16, 2012 (with Koppl, R., Horwitz, S., Dobuzinskis, L.)
  • "Experts and information choice", Advances in Austrian Economics, 17, 171-202, 2012 (with Koppl, R., Horwitz, S., Dobuzinskis, L.)
  • "Leveraging Bias in Forensic Science", Fordham Urban Law Journal, 39, 37, 2012
  • "Introduction to the Schutz Interview", Schutzian Research. A Yearbook of Lifeworldly Phenomenology and Qualitative Social Science(Volume 3), 15–24, 2011 (with Augier, M.)
  • "Alfred Schutz Interview on Economics and Politics", Schutzian Research, 3, 15–24, 2011 (with Augier, M.)
  • "Commentary on: Thornton JI. Letter to the editor-a rejection of "working blind" as a cure for contextual bias. J Forensic Sci 2010;55(6):1663", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 56(2), 562-563, 2011 (with Thompson, W., Ford, S., Gilder, J., Inman, K., Jamieson, A., Kornfield, I., Krane, D., Mnookin, J., Risinger, D., Rudin, N., Saks, M., Zabell, S.)
  • "Monetary policy regimes in macroeconomic data: An application of fractal analysis", Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 51(2), 201-211, 2011 (with Mulligan, R.)
  • "Rational bias in forensic science", Law, Probability and Risk, 9(1), 69–90, 2010 (with Whitman, G.)
  • "Organization economics explains many forensic science errors", Journal of Institutional Economics, 6(1), 71-81, 2010
  • "Some epistemological implications of economic complexity", International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 76(3), 859-872, 2010
  • "The social construction of expertise", Society, 47(3), 220-226, 2010
  • "Commentary on: Budowle B, Bottrell MC, Bunch SG, Fram R, Harrison D, Meagher S, Oien CT, Peterson PE, Seiger DP,Smith MB, Smrz MA, Soltis GL, Stacey RB. A perspective on errors, bias, and interpretation in the forensic sciences and direction for continuing advancement. J Forensic Sci 2009;54(4):798-809", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 55(1), 273-274, 2010 (with Krane, D., Ford, S., Gilder, J., Inman, K., Jamieson, A., Kornfield, I., Michael Risinger, D., Rudin, N., Scott Taylor, M., Thompson, W.)
  • "Confessions of a neuro-Hayekian", Advances in Austrian Economics, 13, 391-397, 2010
  • "An economic perspective on “Unanalyzed evidence in law-enforcementagencies”", CRIMINOLOGY & PUBLIC POLICY, 9(2), 411-419, 2010 (with Cowan, E.)
  • "A battle of forensic experts is not a race to the bottom", Review of Political Economy, 22(2), 235-262, 2010 (with Cowan, E.)
  • "Introduction: Regrettably exciting times", Advances in Austrian Economics, 14, 1-23, 2010
  • "Evolutionary forensic psychology: Darwinian Foundations of Crime and Law", EVOLUTION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR, 30(5), 377-379, 2009
  • "Authors’ response", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 54(2), 501, 2009 (with Krane, D., Ford, S., Gilder, J., Inman, K., Jamieson, A., Kornfield, I., Michael Risinger, D., Rudin, N., Taylor, M., Thompson, W.)
  • "Authors’ response", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 54(6), 1500-1501, 2009 (with Krane, D., Ford, S., Gilder, J., Inman, K., Jamieson, A., Kornfield, I., Risinger, D., Rudin, N., Thompson, W., Taylor, M.)
  • "Darwin, Darwinism and social Darwinism: What do we learn from Darwin’s theory of social evolution?", International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 71(1), 1-3, 2009 (with Marciano, A.)
  • "Comments on the review of low copy number testing", International Journal of Legal Medicine, 123(6), 535-536, 2009 (with Gilder, J., Kornfield, I., Krane, D., Mueller, L., Thompson, W.)
  • "Time for DNA disclosure", Science, 326(5960), 1631-1632, 2009 (with Krane, D., Bahn, V., Balding, D., Barlow, B., Cash, H., Desportes, B., D’Eustachio, P., Devlin, K., Doom, T., Dror, I., Ford, S., Funk, C., Gilder, J., Hampikian, G., Inman, K., Jamieson, A., Kent, P., Kornfield, I., Krimsky, S., Mnookin, J., Mueller, L., Murphy, E., Paoletti, D., Petrov, D., Raymer, M., Risinger, D., Roth, A., Rudin, N., Shields, W., Siegel, J., Slatkin, M., Song, Y., Speed, T., Spiegelman, C., Sullivan, P., Swienton, A., Tarpey, T., Thompson, W., Ungvarsky, E., Zabell, S.)
  • "Thinking impossible things: A review essay", Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 66(3-4), 837–847, 2008
  • "Sequential unmasking: A means of minimizing observer effects in forensic DNA interpretation", Journal of Forensic Sciences, 53(4), 1006-1007, 2008 (with Krane, D., Ford, S., Gilder, J., Inman, K., Jamieson, A., Kornfield, I., Michael Risinger, D., Rudin, N., Taylor, M., Thompson, W.)
  • "Computable entrepreneurship", Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 32(5), 919-926, 2008
  • "Epistemics for forensics", Episteme: A Journal of Social Epistemology, 5(2), 2008 (with Kurzban, R., Kobilinsky, L.)
  • "Introduction", Advances in Austrian Economics, 11, 1-6, 2008 (with Koppl, R.)
  • "Diversity and forensics: Diversity in hiring is not enough", Medicine, Science and the Law, 47(2), 117-124, 2007
  • "Diversity and forensics: Diversity in hiring is not enough", Medicine, Science and the Law, 47(2), 117-124, 2007
  • "Breaking Up the Forensics Monopoly: Eight ways to fix a broken system", Reason, 39(6), 44, 2007
  • "Bruce Caldwell, Hayek’s Challenge: An Intellectual Biography of FA Hayek, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, London (2004) 489+ xi pp., index, US $55.00, ISBN 0-226-09191-0", Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 59(2), 287–291, 2006
  • "Democratic Epistemics: An Experiment on Reducing errors in Forensic Science and Other Areas", Papers on Economics and Evolution, 2006
  • "1 A zeal for truth", Money and markets: essays in honor of Leland B. Yeager, 1, 2006
  • "Does The Sensory Order have a Useful Economic Future?", Advances in Austrian Economics, 9, 19-50, 2006 (with Butos, W., Krecke, E., Koppl, R.)
  • "Entrepreneurial behavior as a human universal", Entrepreneurship: The engine of growth, 1, 1–19, 2006
  • "Epistemic systems", Episteme: A Journal of Social Epistemology, 2(02), 91–106, 2006
  • "How to improve forensic science", European Journal of Law and Economics, 20(3), 255-286, 2005
  • "5 Big Players and money demand", Modern applications of Austrian thought, 68, 95, 2005 (with Gilanshah, C.)
  • "11 Big players in the ‘new economy’", Markets, information and communication: Austrian perspectives on the Internet economy, 231, 2004 (with Sarjanovic, I.)
  • "CONFIDENCE IN KEYNES AND HAYEK", Friedrich A. Hayek, 4, 213, 2004 (with Butos, W.)
  • "Carabelli & De Vecchi on Keynes and Hayek", Review of Political Economy, 16(2), 239-247, 2004 (with Butos, W.)
  • "Bounded Rationality: The Adaptive Toolbox: Gerd Gigerenzer, Reinhard Selten (Eds.), The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, London, UK, 2001, 377+ xv pp., index, ISBN 0-262-57164-1, $26.00", Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 53(3), 431–434, 2004
  • "Keynes and Hayek on expectations", Friedrich A. Hayek, 3(2), 107, 2004 (with Butos, W.)
  • "ECONOMICS EVOLVING: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE VOLUME", Advances in Austrian Economics, 7, 1-16, 2004
  • "Rational-choice hermeneutics", International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 55(3), 295-317, 2004 (with Whitman, D.)
  • "Science as a spontaneous order: An essay in the economics of science", The Evolution of Scientific Knowledge, 189–208, 2003 (with Butos, W.)
  • "GAINS FROM TRADE BETWEEN AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE VOLUME", Advances in Austrian Economics, 6, 1-7, 2003
  • "Custom and rules", American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 61(2), 531-537, 2002
  • "All that I have to Say has already Crossed your Mind", Metroeconomica, 53(4), 339–360, 2002 (with Rosser, Jr, B., others)
  • "Symposium on Ekkehart Schlicht’s on custom in the economy (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998)", American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 61(2), 505–594, 2002 (with Mäki, U., Moss, L., BLAUG, M., VROMEN, J., KLAES, M., ANTONIDES, G., GROENEWEGEN, J., KRUG, B., WAGNER, R., others)
  • "Random Walk Hypothesis Testing and the Compass Rose", Finance Research Letters, 2(1), 14–17, 2002 (with Tuluca, S.)
  • "What is alertness?", Journal des Économistes et des Études Humaines, 12(1), 2, 2002
  • "Organizations and language games", Journal of Management and Governance, 5(3-4), 287-305, 2001 (with Langlois, R.)
  • "The angular distribution of asset returns in delay space", Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 6(2), 101–120, 2001 (with Nardone, C.)
  • "Alchemies of the Mind: Jon Elster, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1999, 450+ xii pp., Index, ISBN 0-521-64279-5, US $59.95", Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 45(3), 332–335, 2001
  • "Confidence in Keynes and Hayek: reply to Burczak", Review of Political Economy, 13(1), 81–86, 2001 (with Butos, W.)
  • "Introduction", Review of Austrian Economics, The, 14(2), 111–117, 2001 (with Boettke, P.)
  • "Fritz Machlup and Behavioralism", Industrial and Corporate Change, 9(4), 595-622, 2000
  • "Embeddedness, Organizations, and Language Games", Paper for, 2000 (with Langlois, R.)
  • "Teaching complexity: an austrian approach", The Complexity Vision and the Teaching of Economics, 2000
  • "Policy implications of complexity: An Austrian perspective", The Complexity Vision and the Teaching of Economics, 97–117, 2000
  • "REMEMBERANCE AND APPREACIATION ROUNDTABLE PROFESSOR LUDWIG M. LACHMANN (1906-1990): SCHOLAR, TEACHER, AND AUSTRIAN SCHOOL CRITIC OF LATE CLASSICAL FORMALISM IN ECONOMICS", American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 59(3), 2000 (with Boehm, S., Kirzner, I., Lavoie, D.)
  • "The unintended consequences of entrepreneurship", Journal des Économistes et des Études Humaines, 9(4), 1999 (with Minniti, M.)
  • "Explaining Volatility Dynamics: The Case of the Russian Ruble", Managerial Finance, 25(1), 49–63, 1999 (with Broussard, J.)
  • "Expectations: Results from a Program in Subjectivist Economics’", Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1999
  • "Hayek and Kirzner at the Keynesian beauty contest", Journal des Économistes et des Études Humaines, 9(2-3), 257–276, 1999 (with Butos, W.)
  • "Big players and the Russian rouble: explaining volatility dynamics", Managerial Finance, 25(1), 49–63, 1999 (with Paul Broussard, J.)
  • "Apriorism and dualism", Advances in Austrian Economics, 5, 159–179, 1999
  • "Big players and entrepreneurial activity: Keynesian policies and the Kaleidic economy", Journal des Économistes et des Études Humaines, 1999 (with Butos, W.)
  • "Lachmann on the subjectivism of active minds", Subjectivism and Economic Analysis: Essays in Memory of Ludwig Lachmann, New York and London: Routledge, 1998
  • "It is high time take our ignorance more seriously", International Review of Financial Analysis, 5(3), 259–272, 1997
  • "Complex bubble persistence in closed-end country funds", International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 32(1), 19-37, 1997 (with Ahmed, E., Rosser, Jr., J., White, M.)
  • "The Varieties of Subjectivism: Keynes and Hayek on Expectations", History of Political Economy, 29(2), 327-359, 1997 (with Butos, W.)
  • "The Angular Distribution of Asset Returns in Delay Space", Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, Department of Economics and Finance, working paper, February, 1997 (with Nardone, C.)
  • "Review of Uskali M‰ ki, Bo Gustafsson, and Christian Knudsen, editors, Rationality, Institutions and Economic Methodology", Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 1997
  • "Mises and Schutz on ideal types", Cultural Dynamics, 9(1), 63-76, 1997
  • "persistence in closed-end country funds Alexander, PJ, Product variety and market structure: A new measure and a simple test Allen, DS, A multi-sector inventory model", Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 32, 625–627, 1997 (with Ahmed, E., Rosser, Jr, J., White, M., others)
  • "The philosophy of the Austrian school: London, Routledge, 1993", Advances in Austrian Economics, 3, 239–242, 1996
  • "Big players and herding in asset markets: The case of the Russian ruble", Explorations in Economic History, 33(3), 367-383, 1996 (with Yeager, L.)
  • "It is high time we take our ignorance more seriously", International Review of Financial Analysis, 5(3), 259-272, 1996
  • "Man has fallen and he can’t get up: An essay on postmodernism and advertising", Advertising and culture: Theoretical perspectives, 75–84, 1996
  • "The Walras Paradox", Eastern Economic Journal, 43–55, 1995
  • "When do ideas matter? A study in the natural selection of social games", Advances in Austrian Economics, 1, 81–104, 1994 (with Langlois, R.)
  • "Lachmann on Schütz and Shackle", Advances in Austrian Economics, 1, 289–301, 1994
  • "29 ‘Invisible hand’explanations", The Elgar Companion to Austrian Economics, 192, 1994
  • "10 Ideal type methodology in economics", The Elgar Companion to Austrian Economics, 72, 1994
  • "Hayekian expectations: Theory and empirical applications", Constitutional Political Economy, 4(3), 303-329, 1993 (with Butos, W.)
  • "Invisible-hand explanations and neoclassical economics: toward a post marginalist economics", Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), 292–313, 1992
  • "What is the public interest?", Business Ethics and Common Sense, 1992
  • "Price theory as physics: The Cartesian influence on Walras", Methodus, 4, 17–28, 1992
  • "Reply [Retrospectives: Animal Spirits]", Journal of Economic Perspectives, 6(3), 211–12, 1992
  • "Retrospectives: animal spirits", Journal of Economic Perspectives, 5(3), 203–210, 1991
  • "Fritz Machlup and marginalism: a reevaluation", Methodus, 3(2), 86–102, 1991 (with Langlois, R.)

Awards and Honors

  • Citations: Scopus lists 29 citations for me during 2016. (2016)
  • Citations: Web of Science lists 29 works citing me in 2016 excluding the two self-citations of my co-authors. (2016)
  • Cited in: Executive Office of the President President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods (2016)
  • Elinor Ostrom Prize - World Interdisciplinary Network for Institutional Research (2016)
  • Cited in: Shaer, Matthew. “The False Promise of DNA Testing,” The Atlantic (PRINT edition) (2016)
  • Cited in: Hanke,” Steve H. “Big Players (Read: Governments) Make Markets UnsafeZerohedge.com and Cato.org, April 2016. (2016)
  • Cited in: Hanke, Steve, "Economic Headwinds: Big Players, Regime Uncertainty and the Misery Index" - GlobeAsia and http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/economic-headwinds-big-players-regime-uncertainty-misery-index (2016)
  • Citations: Scopus lists 36 citations for me during 2015 (2015)
  • Citations: Web of Science lists 40 works citing me in 2015, excluding my self citations. (2015)
  • Special recognition of my proposal "Cross-lab Redundancy in Forensic Science," submitted to Pioneer's 2015 Better Government Competition. - Pioneer Institute (2015)
  • Templeton Freedom Award - National Center for Policy Analysis (2012)
  • President - Society for the Development of Austrian Economics (2005)
  • H. B. Earhart Fellow (1986)
  • C. Lambe Fellow - Institute for Humane Studies (1985)
  • F. L. Hill Fellow - Institute for Humane Studies (1985)
  • Austrian Economics Fellow - New York University (1980)

Media Placements

“Society Advances One Dead Economist at a Time with Roger Koppl,” All Power To The Imagination podcast #12, 21 August 2021 , All Power To The Imagination 8.21.21

Narrow and unbalanced Sage leaves the Government in a lockdown bind , The Sunday Telegraph 7.18.21

The Scientific Experts Have Failed – Terminate their Tyranny , The Times of Israel 2.16.21

Robinhood and Redditors: Who's robbin' who? , EconLib 2.2.21

Expert Failure: Time to Dismantle the “Public Health” Police State , Arizona Daily Independent 12.2.20

We need a market for expert advice, and competition among experts , IEA UK 11.3.20

The government and its experts aren't asking themselves the right questions before they restrict our fundamental freedoms , The House 9.30.20

Q2 2020 Hedge Fund Holdings: Top Stocks, New Buys & More , Wallet Hub 8.27.20

People Are Right to Be Skeptical of Experts. That's Why We Need More of Them. , RealClearPolicy 7.29.20

Mother Nature Isn't Human Nature: A Wicked Problem , EconLib 5.14.20

The fallen state of experts , The Critic 5.8.20

Pandemics and the Problem of Expert Failure (cont.) , EconLib 4.2.20

Pandemics and the Problem of Expert Failure (continued) , econlib.org 3.31.20

Pandemics and the Problem of Expert Failure , econlib.org 3.30.20

Value expertise but fear expert power and monopoly (guest: Roger Koppl) , Heartland Institute 12.10.19

Roger Koppl: Expert Failure , This Is Not a Pipe Podcast 9.5.19

How do we improve forensics? , Washington Post 8.26.19

How Do We Reconcile Law Science? , Washington Post 8.6.19

How much should juries rely on expert testimony? , Washington Post 7.16.19

We need to fix forensics. But how? , Washington Post 6.20.19

Flawed forensics, 20,000 wrongful convictions and government's culpability , Heartland Institute 6.18.19

Il Populismo Ereditato Dalla Crisi Degli Esperti , Il Sole 24 Ore 10.5.18

Q2 2018 Hedge Fund Holdings: Top Stocks, New Buys & More , WalletHub 8.30.18

We Need to Talk About Bess , History Today 7.23.18