2006 Fall Conference Presentations

*Not all presentations have been posted at this time. Last update: 11.16.06.
Please submit presentations to the AUBER webmaster.

Sunday       Monday       Tuesday

Sunday, October 15, 2006

9:15 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: The Winning Edge
Chair: Pia Montoya, University of Arizona
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn valuable skills to enhance your practical knowledge of InDesign. The three-hour session promises to be interesting, involving, and fun.
Presenting: Jason Blackburn, Digital Impact Design, Inc.

Session II: Real Estate
Chair: Rick Harper, University of West Florida
Home prices have appreciated substantially since 2000 in many parts of the country and a significant share of new jobs in these areas were generated in the construction and financial activities sectors. Our session addresses price appreciation, economic fundamentals and the possibility for price corrections. Information and methods for assessment of the Phoenix, Hawaii, Northwest Arkansas, and Northwest Florida markets will be presented.
Presenting: Jay Butler, Arizona State University, "Arizona Real Estate Center"
Kathy Deck, University of Arkansas, "The Skyline Report"
Carl Bonham, University of Hawaii, "Hawaii Real Estate"
Esmael Adibi, Chapman University

Session III: AUBER: Finding and Exploiting Niche Markets by AUBER Centers
Chair: Scott Rickard, Montana State University - Billings
Not all successful AUBER units are located at large university and serve statewide markets. This session brings together a panel of four university research centers that succeed by focusing on specialized market segments.
Presenting: Scott Rickard, Montana State University - Billings
Lee Grehan, The University of Memphis
Janet Speyrer, University of New Orleans
William Shobe, University of Virginia
"Niche Markets"

11:00 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: The Winning Edge (Continuation)
Chair: Pia Montoya, University of Arizona
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn valuable skills to enhance your practical knowledge of InDesign. The three-hour session promises to be interesting, involving, and fun.
Presenting: Jason Blackburn, Digital Impact Design, Inc.

Session II: Economic Impact of Natural Disasters
Chair: Jeff Collins, University of Arkansas
Patterson will assess high-consequence, low-recurrence earthquake hazard and risk in mid America. Harper will discuss the economic impact of Hurricane Ivan (9/04) on the local Pensacola economy and the sales tax impact on Florida communities affected by the 2004/05 hurricanes. Speyrer will give her first-hand account of the post-Katrina status of the New Orleans economy. WHile three quarters of the people are back in the metropolitan area and over 71% of the jobs have returned, some sectors are doing better than others.
Presenting: Gary Patterson, University of Memphis
Rick Harper, University of West Florida, "Hurricanes and Sales Tax Revenue"
Janet Speyrer, University of New Orleans, "Impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans: Reality and Perception"

Session III: The Role of AUBER Units in Regional Economic Development
Chair: Andrew Brod, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
"Economic development" has become a catchphrase around the country, as regions struggle to cope with the structural transformation of the American economy. The twin forces of innovation and globalization are creating new economic pressures and new competitors. Amid this transformation, many regions have rediscovered some important economic assets: their colleges and universities. This session will address the ways in which AUBER units are a part of their institutions' contributions to regional economic development of their regions, including participation in specific economic-development initiatives.
Presenting: Ashvin Vibhakar, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
George Hammond, West Virginia University
Andrew Brod, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Lunch
Chair: Paul Polzin, The University of Montana
Saul H. Hymans, University of Michigan, "The U.S. Outlook"

1:45 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: Three, Two, One - Web Launch!
Chair: Deborah Hamilton, University of Alabama
Web design 101 with a splash of hands on Adobe GoLive experience, this session covers how users surf, common sense HTML, visual design, content delivery, transferring print to web, and launching your final e-product.
Presenting: Jennifer Whitfield, University of West Florida

Session II: Poster Session
R. Keith Schwer, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
"The Status of Southern Nevada's Immigrant Families"

Monday, October 16, 2006

Breakfast
Chair: Jerry Conover, Indiana University
Gene Huang, FedEx Corporation
"Global Economic Outlook in the Business Environment"

9:30 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: From a Printer's Perspective: Preparing for Print
Chair: Stephen Smith, The University of Memphis
In the world of editors, publication coordinators, and graphic designers, it is imperative that we keep our printers happy. Even though these vendors contract for publications, these professionals can make or break that crucial design or information masterpiece (not to mention the preparer’s sanity). As a printer, graphic designer, and vendor, Tom Maxwell shares some reminders and simple rules for prepress production that will keep the preparer happy and employed.
Presenting: Tom Maxwell, J.W. Moore Printing Co., Inc.

Session II: New Regional Perspectives from the BLS
Chair: Rick Clayton, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Mr. Clayton and David Talan will cover a range of changes, improvements, and innovations in the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. These include accelerations in the timeliness of the data, the development of the longitudinal Business Employment Dynamics (job creation/destruction) program, and the use of geocoding for use in maps and other new data products.
Presenting: Rick Clayton, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Regional Data Issues"
David Talan, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Session III: AUBER Meets the Chicken and Peas Circuit - The "Best of the Outlook Presentations"
Chair: Paul Polzin, The University of Montana
Many AUBER centers provide economic outlooks for their service areas. Even though they are located in different parts of the country with dissimilar trends, many of the issues and problems are the same. Come and hear four of the best presentations from around the country. Listen to how others explain and analyze the current situation and the outlooks in their respective regions.
Presenting: Keith Schwer, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, "WRDC Nevada Economic Outlook: 2006"
Paul Polzin, The University of Montana, "Natural Resource Boom in Montana"
George Hammond, University of West Virginia, "The West Virginia Economy"
Eric Thompson, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, "Manufacturing Rebounds - Nebraska's Economic Outlook"

11:00 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: Web Publishing and Public Data Mining
Chair: Eve Irwin, University of Florida
Part one of this session will focus on web writing and publishing, consisting of differences between web writing and print, techniques to emphasize and change, web organization and content, and the use of e-announcements. Part two of the session will focus on targeted web-based data systems, particularly public data mining on a grand (national) scale. This portion of the session will explain how target audiences are flooded with information from the Internet, and demonstrate how AUBER units can utilize the web to make meaningful, value-added data available.
Presenting: Susan Floyd, University of Florida, "Web Writing and Publishing"
Carol Rogers, Indiana University, "Putting the Value into Added Data"

Session II: New BEA Regional Methods and Data
Chair: Rob Brown, U.S. Bureau of Economics Analysis (BEA)
Over the past couple of years, the BEA has initiated or implemented many significant improvements to the regional personal income and gross regional product estimates. This session will provide four short presentations on some of the important work on which BEA’s regional program has focused its efforts.
Presenting: Jeffrey Newman and Michael Pilot, BEA, “2005 Prototype Estimates of Metropolitan Area Personal Income”
David Lenze, BEA, “Regional Measurement of Pension and Annuity Benefits—New Estimates”
Clifford Woodruff, BEA, “Recent Advances in Gross State Product Estimates”
Sharon Panek, BEA, “Research on Feasibility of Producing Gross Product for Metropolitan Areas”

Session III: Managing a Small AUBER Center
Chair: Gregg Davis, Flathead Valley Community College
For AUBER centers with negligible financial and personnel resources, often confined to a part-time director at best, finding the time and resources to conduct projects that gain the center notoriety and exposure are problematic. This session will provide templates for projects that gain high visibility for the center with little resource expenditure. The focus will be on “turn-key” projects that afford themselves to quick generation, thus enabling the center to gain public visibility and avenues for future funding and Center growth.
Presenting: Gregg Davis, Flathead Valley Community College
L. Hart Hodges, Western Washington University
Peggy Dalton, Frostburg State University, "Housing Affordability"
Carl Bonham, University of Hawaii, "From Small to Medium Sized"

Lunch
Chair: John Gnuschke, The University of Memphis
Bill Poole, St. Louis Federal Reserve
"Data, Data, and Yet More Data"

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Breakfast
Chair: Jeff Collins, University of Arkansas
Emily Kolinski Morris, Ford Motor Company
"Economic Outlook for 2007: An Automotive Industry Perspective"

9:30 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: Geographic Information Systems: An Introduction for Economic Researchers
Chair: Maile Nadelhoffer, University of Arizona
This session provides an introduction to GIS tailored to the economic/business researcher. The first part of the session defines and explores spatial data, and demonstrates how it can be used to enhance the research process. This will be followed up with a hands-on demonstration of ArcGIS 9.1.
Presenting: Ryan Hanson, University of Memphis.

Session II: Health Care Issues
Chair: Julie Ehlers, The University of Montana
Provides an overview of research on workplace wellness programs in 21 rural counties in Georgia and an overview of the work of the Children’s Research Center on public policy issues that are driving the demand for community level research and data in the areas of health and human services in Arkansas.
Presenting: Phyllis Isley, Georgia Southern University, "A Process for Developing Rural Workplace Wellness Programs"
Randolph L. Peterson, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, "Children's Research"

Session III: Starting a New Center
Chair: D. Patrick Jones, Eastern Washington University
The Dean has just appointed you Director! Now what? Come listen to AUBER directors who have successfully traversed the minefields associated with starting a new center.
Presenting: D. Patrick Jones, Eastern Washington University
Monty Lynn, Abilene Christian University, "Rural Economic Development & the Private University"
Daniel Blake, Cal State Northridge, "Starting a new, small AUBER center, or How I Sing the Blues"
Jay Butler, Arizona State University

11:00 Concurrent Sessions

Session I: Geographic Information Systems: An Introduction for Economic Researchers (Continuation)
Chair: Maile Nadelhoffer, University of Arizona
This session provides an introduction to GIS tailored to the economic/business researcher. The first part of the session defines and explores spatial data, and demonstrates how it can be used to enhance the research process. This will be followed up with a hands-on demonstration of ArcGIS 9.1.
Presenting: Ryan Hanson, University of Memphis

Session II: How to Create Your Own Local Index of Leading Indicators
Chair: Jim Kurre, Penn State University Erie
This session will bring together those who are interested in creating a local Index of Leading Indicators (ILI) with those who are already doing it. Presentations will discuss how to go about creating an ILI, dealing with data issues, best practices, dissemination of the results, and experiences of the experienced. The session will also provide the initial meeting of those interested in creating a network of AUBER members to share information on ILIs and hopefully create a set of local ILIs that can be posted on the AUBER web site regularly.
Presenting: Janet Harrah, Wichita State University, "WSU Economic Indexes"
Jeff Collins, University of Arkansas
James Owen, Midwestern State University
Jim Kurre, Penn State University Erie, "How to Create Your Own Local Index of Leading Indicators"

Session III: AUBER Invited Papers
Chair: Semoon Chang, University of South Alabama
What are the latest research topics from AUBER members? Come and hear cutting-edge presentations concerning a wide variety of conceptual and applied topics.
Presenting: Semoon Chang, University of South Alabama, "A Practical Application of RIMS II Multipliers"
Doug Lonnstrom, Siena College, "Holiday Economic Survey: From Local to Statewide"
Don Grimes, University of Michigan, "How Did We Get into this Pickle and Where Do We Go from Here?"
Gary Smith, Washington State University, "Cultivating a Reality Forum to Energize Undergraduate Economics Education"
Richard Mack, Central Washington University, "Economic beyond the Textbook and the Classroom".