Campus Connection

Economics professors share their experiences as part of Spring Economic Speaker Series

Brad Humphreys and Jane Ruseski, economics professors at West Virginia University, will speak as part of UW-La Crosse’s Spring Economic Speaker Series. Their lecture will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, in room 1300 Centennial Hall. The lecture is free. The Economic Speaker Series is a grant-funded event, which aims to connect students with speakers from a variety of backgrounds in economics and sports with the goal of bridging classroom material with real-world experiences to better prepare students for their future careers. The speakers will share insight on important topics that build awareness and better position students for successful careers. Humphreys earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from West Virginia University and a doctoral degree in economics at Johns Hopkins University. He is the 2016-2017 recipient of the Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award for Social and Behavioral Sciences at West Virginia University. This award recognizes distinction in research, scholarship or creative activity. As a distinguished scholar, Humphreys also testified before the U.S. Congress on the economic impact of professional sports teams and facilities. Ruseski’s expertise involves health economics, sports economics and industrial organization. Ruseski earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Management and Policy from the University of New Hampshire and master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Johns Hopkins University. Her current research explores the determinants of healthy and unhealthy behaviors. This includes chronic health conditions and the effect of public policy on health. She is also a co-editor of “Contemporary Economic Policy” and an associate editor of the “International Journal of Sports Finance.” A $400,000 Wisconsin Initiative for Economic Research grant funds the series. Adam Hoffer, UWL associate professor of Economics, received the award in October 2016, providing an opportunity to sponsor economic events focusing on topics that include basic economics to public policy discussion. Not only does this grant fund the Economic Speaker Series, but it also funds regional economic events, a weekly economic discussion group at UWL and other economic research projects. The Wisconsin Initiative for Economic Research grant is from the Charles Koch Foundation. This foundation aims to promote academic openness and rigorous economic inquiry.