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You could say Seattle came alive with more than an even flow of tourism dollars from a pair of highly-anticipated Pearl Jam concerts, according to rockin’ new research by West Virginia University economists.

Dubbed the “Home Shows,” two Pearl Jam concerts in August 2018 helped net the seaport city $58 million in additional hotel revenue and $9 million in hotel tax revenue. Compare that to Seattle Mariners baseball games, which generate $140,000 in additional hotel revenue on game days, and the researchers make a clear case for large, one-off events as economic boosters.

Margaret Bock, a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics, has been selected as the winner of the 20th Annual Benjamin H. Stevens Graduate Fellowship in Regional Science. The fellowship will provide a 2020-2021 academic year stipend of $30,000 to support Bock’s dissertation research entitled, “The Road Less Traveled: Economic Analysis of Roads and Highways.”

A native of Hedgesville, Bock came to WVU for graduate studies in 2016 and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Economics with a focus in public economics and urban/regional economics.

Noah Trudeau, a third-year Economics Ph.D. student in West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics, is finding new and innovative ways to reach his students through virtual learning. 

In addition to his regular office hours, Trudeau is offering his time via Twitch, a live-streaming platform for video gamers. The site allows users to watch others play games and also chat with other gamers around the world.

This fall, West Virginia University's John Chambers College of Business and Economics will accept the first group of students into its online master’s program in economics. The master’s in economics is a one-year full-time program, split into 10 credits per semester over three semesters.

“I think it fits nicely with what we’re doing with all of the graduate professional programs in terms of experiential education,” said Joshua Hall, chair of the Department of Economics. “I’m working with a number of state-based organizations and government entities on the capstone program.”

From leading and founding clubs to interning to managing investment funds, this double-major senior in Finance and Economics does it all. Elizabeth Blemings bleeds gold and blue and represents what the John Chambers College of Business and Economics is all about.

Elizabeth is a part of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF), a fund run by a team of student analysists who manage real money and discuss markets in real time. The team goes to New York City each semester, connecting with WVU alumni in industry and to meet with different financial institutions.

Niko Stilianoudakis always knew economics was the right program for him. Now a senior honors student in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics who is also double-majoring in mathematics, he is building his portfolio quickly.

Last year, Niko was hand-picked to study in the first-ever Applied Regional Economics Research class, an advanced undergraduate class where students were selected prior to the Spring 2018 semester to research assigned regions, compile data and present a statistical analysis to business leaders in their respective regions. Their research involved economic forecasting for various areas of West Virginia and are part of official statewide data compiled by the WVU Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Because of that success, Niko is now a BBER Witt Scholar, doing research for the entity that is at the heart of economic forecasting and studies for the state of West Virginia.

The director of the Center for Free Enterprise at West Virginia University has been recognized with an award for scholarly accomplishments by the Association of Private Enterprise Education.

WVU’s College of Business and Economics recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the economics Ph.D. program with a two-day event in Morgantown. The April 21-22 event included a variety of events that saw attendees from across the U.S. and around the world.

“This was a terrific event that included program alumni from all over the world,” said Dr. Cliff Hawley, economics chair at B&E. “Jorge Guillen came from Peru, Javed Younas came from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and former professor Ron Balvers came from Canada. Chronologically and geographically, there was a wide spectrum of attendees.”

When 12 B&E finance students enrolled in the inaugural Applied Investment Management course, they had no idea it would take them to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Recognizing his remarkable research and scholarly activity, Dr. Brad Humphreys, professor of economics at the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics, is one of four outstanding faculty members at WVU named a 2016 Benedum Distinguished Scholar.