Appalachian State University Alum, economist and author Stephen J Dubner has been listed by Forbes as one of only a handful of profiled Business Visionaries.

Stephen J. Dubner grew up in a rural area outside Albany, New York in a town called Duanesburg, as the youngest of eight children in a devout Roman Catholic family. His parents, Paul and Veronica Dubner, had converted to Catholicism from Judaism, the faith, ironically, that Dubner turned to as an adult [1]. His first published work was in the American children's magazine Highlights for Children.

Dubner received a scholarship from Appalachian State University in North Carolina, and graduated in 1984. At Appalachian he formed a band, "The Right Profile," which was signed to Arista Records. In 1988, he stopped playing music to focus more on writing, going on to receive an MFA in Writing from Columbia University (1990), where he also taught in the English Department.

Dubner currently resides in New York City with his wife, Ellen Binder, and two children. (from wiki)

Business Visionaries - Forbes.com