Running offers a freedom that appeals to Ed Schumacher, associate professor of health care administration. “Running is a good way to get away,” he says, adding that he has completed 10 marathons, including the Boston Marathon, one of the most prestigious events for serious runners. He finished – as did more than 21,000 other runners – within his target time goal despite rain, a hilly course, and an uncooperative knee.

To him, running 26 miles without stopping really is no big deal. He says anyone can do it by setting and sticking to goals. He’s not a slave to speed or distance, he eats whatever he wants, and he doesn’t have a formal training regimen. Schumacher just loves to run. It’s a stress reliever that he started in graduate school. “I just go and be by myself and let my mind wander.” He began running shorter distances, amazing even himself after completing a 10-mile course without stopping. A brother encouraged him to run in the Raleigh Marathon, and the events became a family affair – him, his brother, a sister – who used marathons as an excuse to get together.

Now that he’s completed 10 marathons, he’ll take some time to figure out what’s next. He wants to enjoy running, not be caught up in its trappings. Some pointers for would-be marathoners: buy good shoes at a specialty running store. (“There are three or four in San Antonio. You won’t get them on sale, but they will look at your feet and put you in the right shoe.”) Avoid concrete as a running surface. Those “bouncy” tracks at high schools are good but they can be boring, he says. In preparation for the Boston Marathon, Schumacher trained in the Texas Hill Country. His other advice is: just run. Make up the course as you go along, if needed. And don’t give up. When he’s not running, you’ll find him in the Trinity pool.

 Schumacher arrived at Trinity in August 2002 and teaches quantitative methods and health economics. “It’s nice to have students who are motivated and know what they want to do,” although he adds that they pepper his lectures with, “How will I use this tomorrow?” He says he learns as much from them as they do from him since most are working full-time, have a family, and pay tuition out of their pockets.

He studies nursing labor markets, such as how well foreign-born nurses assimilate into the market and how domestic nurses are affected. Preliminary findings show that nurses from the Philippines or India tend to earn less when they arrive in the U.S. but their salaries quickly catch up. He teaches many of the same health-care students in the fall and spring, so “there is continuity and we can build a relationship.” He noted that people have met spouses in a health-care classroom and that alumni, especially in Texas, are well connected, thanks in large part to a strong residency program.

Selected Publications:

• Hirsch, Barry T., and Edward J. Schumacher. “Classic or New Monopsony? Searching for Evidence in Nursing Labor Markets,” Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 24, No. 5, September 2005, pp. 969-89.
  
  
•  Baldwin, Marjorie L., and Edward J. Schumacher. “A Note on Job Mobility among workers with Disabilities,” Industrial Relations, Vol. 41(3) July 2002, pp. 430-41.
  
  
• Schumacher, Edward J. “What Explains Wage Differences Between Union Members and Covered Nonmembers” Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 65(3) January 1999, pp. 493-512.
  
  
• Schumacher, Edward J., and Barry T. Hirsch. “Compensating Differentials and Unmeasured Ability in the Labor Market for Nurses: Why Do Hospitals Pay More?” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 50(4), July 1997, pp. 557-579.
  

© 2007 Trinity University