Colby Community College economics instructor Timothy Hills was recently published on the personal finance website WalletHub for his article on how COVID-19 has affected demand for car insurance in Kansas.

Hills said consumer circumstances throughout the pandemic are reshaping the approach to insurance.

"I would expect to see at least a short-term decline in, or at least a shift in the type of, demand for car insurance," he wrote. "I believe we can expect this short-run change in consumer demand to have occurred in at least one of two ways: A shift in demand from full-coverage to minimal liability coverage (as is required by law) and a shift in demand from traditional coverage to pay-per-mile coverage."

He also noted that the successful implementation of a remote or hybrid work schedule could find many employees on the road less, which will also impact insurance choices.

His knowledge on the topic blends his profession as an instructor with his background and experiences.

Although born in Seattle, Wash., Hills grew up in Derby, Kan. He moved to Provo, Utah, and got a bachelor's degree with a double major in economics and mathematics while minoring in Spanish at Brigham Young University. After two years in Uruguay serving on a church mission, he finished his undergraduate degree and moved to the Washington, D.C., area to work for the Board of Governors. Following his tenure at the Board, he attended New York University and earned a master's degree in economics.

Before coming to Colby, he served in higher education instructional positions as a teaching fellow and instructor at NYU, a research assistant and teaching assistant at BYU, as well as doctoral internship and senior research assistant posts.

Those roles helped Hills develop a philosophy he uses daily in his first year at CCC.

"With teaching, I try to remind myself to take the time and meet the student where they're at, and then walk alongside them as they independently take their next steps toward learning and understanding."