Blankenau is a Professor of Economics and currently serves as head of the department. He received a B.S. degree in economics and finance from the University of Nebraska, an M.A. degree in economics from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Iowa. He taught at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater prior to his appointment at K-State and was a visiting professor at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Blankenau's research interests include macroeconomics and growth. Much of his work investigates the macroeconomic consequences of education policy. His work has appeared in journals such as Review of Economic Dynamics, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Economic Theory, and Journal of Development Economics.