With the passing of economics professor Jim Couch on June 26, faculty, staff and students of the College of Business who knew him are entering the school year with heavy hearts.

“The passing of Jim has left a true void in the College of Business,” said Greg Carnes, dean of the College of Business. “Jim was not just a great teacher and researcher, but he was a true scholar in every sense of the word.”

Couch passed away after losing an 18-month battle with kidney cancer that later spread to his lungs. He taught at UNA for 22 years, according to a June 28 obituary in The Times Daily.

Several students said Couch’s passion for the subject inspired them to commit to an economics degree at UNA.

“He is the reason I am majoring in economics,” said Maghan Youngblood, a senior. “He was such a great teacher and the fact that he could make economics interesting and fun to those who are not majoring in it says a lot about him.”

Michael Hoehn, also a senior, committed to an economics major after having a class with Couch as well.

“He was a very genuine individual,” Hoehn said. “No matter how sick he got he was always upbeat and he always had a smile on his face and was always willing to crack a joke.”

Hoehn later went on to work on several projects with Couch, he said.

Faculty members said it was more than just Couch’s passion for the subject that inspired students, but also his passion for teaching and daily interaction with students.

“Jim had more interaction with students than almost any other professor I know,” said Bruce Gordon, professor of finance and economics. “The students that were drawn to him were those that really cared about learning more about Economics. He was a great mentor for them and loved to share his passion for Economics.”

John Barrett, associate professor of economics, agreed.

“I would virtually guarantee that Jim was responsible for more students majoring in economics than any other faculty member,” he said. “Jim was a ‘people person’ in every sense. Whether they be UNA students, faculty, staff, fellow members of his church, members of his district as a City Council member or any he ever met, Jim always put people above everything else.”

While Couch encouraged faculty-student collaboration with hands-on projects, he also promoted faculty friendships through project collaborations.

Barrett and Keith Malone, associate professor of economics and finance, are in the process of completing a book the three were working on together.

Barrett said a special edition of the Journal of Business, Industry and Economics will be dedicated in his memory, since Couch was an editor of the magazine.

“His curiosity and passion for research was contagious, and he inspired many faculty members to initiate research projects, and then mentored them through the research process,” Carnes said.

As applications for a professor of economics and finance are submitted this fall, professors like Barrett and Carnes believe his presence will never be fully replaced.

“Jim’s legacy is fourfold: teacher, scholar, colleague and friend,” Barrett said. “Jim helped many faculty members work on research and scholarly pursuits. He mentored numerous students as they made a metamorphosis from reticent underclassmen to confident graduates. He truly wanted the best for every student and colleague.

He leaves a legacy not only of the kind of faculty member we should strive to be, but of the kind of person we should strive to be.”