James R. Barth is the Lowder Eminent Scholar in Finance at Auburn University and a Senior Fellow at the Milken Institute. His research has focused on financial institutions and capital markets, with special emphasis on regulatory issues. Barth was the Chief Economist of the Office of Thrift Supervision and previously served as the Chief Economist of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. He was Professor of Economics at George Washington University, Associate Director of the Economics Program at the National Science Foundation, Shaw Foundation Professor of Banking and Finance at Nanyang Technological University, and visiting scholar at the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the World Bank. He has authored more than 100 articles in professional journals, has written and edited several books, serves on several editorial boards and is included in Who's Who in Economics.

Barth received his Ph.D. in economics from Ohio State University.