Department Updates: Articles, Page 9 | Business and Economics

Department Updates

Research in Economics: Is Tourism good for Locals? Evidence from Barcelona

By Beth Ryan November 19th 2020

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics welcomed Dr. Rocio Medere, Assistant Professor of Economics, Southern Methodist University on November 4. Dr. Medere is the economist who asked the research question, “Is tourism good for locals?”

According to Dr. Meder, “We embed a Ricardo-Viner framework into a rich urban geography and show that the welfare impact of shocks depends only on (1) the spatial patterns of consumption and income; and (2) the price and wage effects of the shock throughout the city. We use spatially disaggregated consumption and income data to estimate the price and wage effects of Barcelona’s tourist boom.” You can view her lecture here on YouTube.

The research identifies these effects using an identification strategy based on monthly variation in the aggregate composition of tourists’ origin. On average, local workers suffer slightly from tourism, but these average effects mask substantial heterogeneity across space, ranging from a -19 to a +4 percent welfare change between low and high tourist seasons. The inner city residents bear the largest price changes but enjoy the largest income gains, whereas peripheric neighborhoods suffer lower but sizable price changes with none to moderate income benefits.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics organizes faculty seminars to provide Allegheny College and visiting faculty the opportunities to give presentations based on their research agendas. Students, faculty and staff attend to learn more about cutting-edge research.

Two Events Provide an Insider View into the Art & Science of Marketing

By Beth Ryan October 20th 2020

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics hosted two marketing presentations as part of the Lunchtime Lecture Series on October 26 and 27, 2020.

Marketing Monday, October 26: How do Advertising Agencies Present Themselves to Clients? Scott Morgan, President/Partner of Brunner, Inc., Pittsburgh gave students an insider’s view into ad agency operation.

Scott is president and partner of Brunner, a top 100 U.S. independent advertising agency with offices in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. He is also chairman of Magnet, the global network of independent ad agencies. The agency is known for its creativity, including its Super Bowl work that was Adweek’s “Brand Story of the Year” and for its expertise in digital media and performance marketing, often cited by Forrester as a marketing innovator. Watch his presentation here on YouTube

On Tuesday, October 27, Carla Nagel, the Executive Director of the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association and the founder of the Neuromarketing World Forum presented, “The World of Neuromarketing: How Neuromarketing, Around the Globe, is Used to Improve Organization Goals.”

Carla Nagel is the Executive Director of the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association and the founder of the Neuromarketing World Forum. She is an open-minded community manager and masters ‘getting things done’ in a nice and friendly way. Although she does not have a background in neuromarketing, she developed an objective helicopter view on the industry worldwide. Carla founded the NMSBA in 2012 and since then she runs it with enthusiasm. Together with her team she is responsible for the publications “Insights”, the Neuromarketing Yearbook, the Shopper Brain Conference Series and the Neuromarketing World Forum.

Email bryan@allegheny.edu to register.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics attracts Allegheny’s next generation of business innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a host of co-curricular activities that connect with and deepen their classroom experiences. The Lunchtime Learning Lecture Series provides students with opportunities to gain valuable information on topics and industries related to internships and careers.

How can a student discover a career in the NFL? Isaac Gittens ’14 can help

By Beth Ryan October 16th 2020

On October 22, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics welcomed Isaac Gittens ’14, Senior Program Coordinator at the National Football League (NFL) who presented “Building a Career in Sport.” Isaac shared his journey from Allegheny College to the NFL, using Twitter and showing up when unexpected. How can a student discover a career in the NFL? Isaac can help.

According to Isaac, there are 4 must-have skill sets for a successful career in the NFL:

Excellent presentation skills – be prepared to present at a high level.
Organizational skills.
Interpersonal communication skills- the ability to work with all kinds of people.
Time management skills – everything moves very fast in the sports universe.

View Isaac’s presentation here on YouTube

Isaac Gittens joined the National Football League in 2016 in Player Engagement. After serving two years in PE he transitioned to the Y&HS Football department in Football Operations. A New Jersey native, Isaac earned a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from Allegheny College and master’s in sport management from Baylor University. During his time at Baylor, he served as a graduate assistant at the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Stretching your Degree and Resisting Prescription: Defining your Path and Taking the Road Less Travelled

By Beth Ryan October 15th 2020

Denise Jones ’13 returned on Wednesday, October 14 to discuss her unique journey from Allegheny to the University of Michigan, where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Health, Education, and Psychology.

In her conversation, she addressed

Her experiences as one of the only black female Economics students in the Department, and how she cultivated mentorship relationships that assisted her in pursuing work that mattered,
How to utilize one’s Economics Degree as a means to an end, and not the end itself,
The value of an Economics Degree in non-traditional careers,
Why students should “resist” prescriptive career routes and think more openly and creatively about connecting one’s academic training with their passions and purposes,
The importance of doing the “unglorified” work.

Click here to view Denise’s presentation on YouTube.

Denise Jones is an educator, scholar, student advocate, and non-profit leader with over six years of practical and professional experience. Upon graduating from Allegheny College with a degree in Economics and Black Studies, Denise set out to transform the lives of students as a classroom educator in San Antonio, Texas. There, she facilitated the learning of over 180 6th – 8th graders in the subject areas of English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and AVID.

During her time, Denise taught dedicated scholars who, despite their difficult circumstances, invested in learning and growing academically and personally. While she received great joy from her students’ growth and development, Denise recognized that she and her students’ commitment to learning were not enough to break the cycles of poverty and oppression that impeded their successes. Her frustration with the school system’s approaches to addressing inequities and disparities led Denise to pursue a master’s degree in Education Policy from Columbia University’s Teachers College (TC).

As a TC student, Denise amalgamated her practical classroom experiences with theoretical training and utilized her students’ unique stories and experiences to cogitate sustainable solutions to our educational system’s most critical problems. Denise also taught adult student learners and supported their journeys toward obtaining their general education diplomas. Beyond this, Denise worked with distinguished faculty from Columbia and NYU on research projects involving school choice, teacher evaluation, and student health.

These diverse experiences informed Denise’s graduate studies and further catalyzed her interest in
exploring out-of-school and summer-time learning, peer mentoring, and educational inequity.
Denise returned to Youth Enrichment Services (YES), where she currently serves as the Assistant
Executive Director, once she completed her master’s degree. What started out as a three-month summer
appointment turned into four years of youth engagement, student advocacy, program implementation,
strategic planning, non-profit leadership, and community-based research.

Denise’s time at YES has been extremely fulfilling as she has collaborated with partners and stakeholders to move the grassroots non-profit forward, remained actively involved in research and scholarship that has led to national and international conferences and publications – with the most recent in the After school Matters Journal – developed meaningful youth enrichment opportunities that impacted the health of local communities, increased the programming scope and budget, co-facilitated sessions empowering African scholars and female entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, committed to the professional growth and development of her colleagues, and supported the collegiate journeys of over 30 youth.

Looking Towards the Future

While her work at YES has been extremely rewarding, Denise is ready to connect her grassroots efforts to
the academy to support youth far beyond YES. With the help of scholars at Michigan, Denise hopes to
continue testing YES’ mentorship model and building the case for how community-based practitioners can
help underserved students in out-of-school learning spaces. Denise is eager to explore how to embolden
students from inner-city, low-income communities to shift their mindsets about themselves and to look
inward in a way that connects them to their life purposes and elicits their sense of civic responsibility to their communities.

Denise is especially interested in investigating the factors that youth identify as important to navigating the craziness of their communities and to persisting through their often disturbance-ridden secondary institutions. Denise is also interested in examining the relationship between mentorship and motivation and how this effects youths’ college access and persistence. Ultimately, Denise’s work is youth-
centric and multidisciplinary in nature as it combines a host of disciplines and academic thoughts.

Denise foresees her future as a researcher pursuing solutions and strategies to ameliorate the challenges
that persist in urban communities and schools. Upon obtaining her PhD, she fully anticipates leading – and using – research to better serve youth. Her role will be that of changing lives, building wealth, and
empowering the community, as she believes the community is the unit of change – it builds the knowledge
and then informs the academy.

Denise is excited to join a unique cohort of scholars whose alliance is critical in advancing education policy issues.

This presentation is sponsored by the Womxn in Economics Club at Allegheny College. Please email womxninecon@allegheny.edu for more information.

Marketing Monday – John Paul Marcantonio ’01

By Beth Ryan October 14th 2020

On October 5, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics welcomed John Paul Marcantonio ’01, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Gale Pacific Ltd. John Paul will share his Allegheny journey and how his company has adapted during the ongoing pandemic.

GALE Pacific Limited (GALE) is a trusted leading global marketer and manufacturer of branded screening and shading products for domestic, commercial and industrial applications. The company has recently introduced GALE Guard reusable face masks to meet the public’s needs for face masks with antimicrobial treated fabric.

Click here for John Paul’s Presentation on YouTube

John Paul joined GALE Pacific in October 2017 as the General Manager of the Americas business. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer in November 2019 and was appointed as Managing Director in August 2020. John Paul has extensive experience working across both consumer and commercial products sectors globally. Prior to joining GALE Pacific, John Paul built an impressive career at Newell Brands in roles of increasing responsibility in marketing, sales and management over fifteen years.

John Paul lived and worked in Melbourne, Australia for several years as the Regional Marketing Director of Newell Brands’ APAC hardware businesses and has held multiple global product and brand marketing leadership positions over his tenure. In his last role before joining GALE, John Paul served as the Global Vice President of Marketing for the Rubbermaid brand.

Allegheny Fellows Interview Anne Gearan ’85, White House Correspondent for The Washington Post

By Beth Ryan October 1st 2020

On Wednesday, October 7, Allegheny College will welcome Anne Gearan ’85, White House correspondent for The Washington Post to answer questions from both the Center for Political Participation and Center for Business & Economics Fellows concerning this year’s presidential election campaign. The Allegheny community is invited to listen in as Anne fields student questions and illuminates presidential campaign media coverage.

Allegheny Community members can supply their questions in advance of this event due to the tight time constraints, and the Fellows will ask the questions on your behalf.

To register for what promises to be a lively discussion, please email bryan@allegheny.edu.

Anne Gearan is a White House correspondent for The Washington Post, with a focus on foreign policy and national security. She covered the Hillary Clinton campaign and the State Department for The Post before joining the White House beat. She joined the paper in 2012 from the Associated Press, where she served as chief diplomatic correspondent, Pentagon correspondent, White House reporter and national security editor. She also covered the Supreme Court. Anne is a 1985 Allegheny College graduate with a BA in English and History.

The Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics is partnering with the Allegheny Law & Policy Program to sponsor this special event.

Research in Economics: Law Enforcement Leaders and The Racial Composition of Arrests

By Beth Ryan October 1st 2020

George Bulman, Ph.D. In the second lecture in this year’s theme, Seeking Justice in a Divided Nation, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics welcomed Dr. George Bulman, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California, who presented his research entitled “Law Enforcement Leaders and The Racial Composition of Arrests.”

Dr. Bulman introduces a novel avenue of study for understanding the mechanisms behind racial discrimination in law enforcement. He will explain a new 25‐year panel history of the race of every U.S. sheriff to shed light on the potentially important role of managers who make hiring decisions and set departmental priorities. Comparing agencies that experience racial transitions to agencies with overlapping jurisdictions reveals that the ratio of Black‐to‐White arrests is significantly higher under White sheriffs. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effects are driven by arrests for less‐serious offenses and by targeting Black crime types.

Dr. Bulman’s paper can be found at this link | You can watch his presentation here on YouTube

George Bulman is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Prof. Bulman is a public economist who specializes in evaluating the effects of local and federal policies using large administrative data sets. His research examines topics such as the factors that shape the college enrollment decisions of low-income students and the role of race in law enforcement. His papers have been published in leading economics journals, including the Journal of Public Economics, the Journal of Labor Economics, and the American Economic Journal. Prior to joining the faculty at U.C. Santa Cruz, he earned a B.S. at Haverford College and Ph.D. at Stanford University.

Creating Good Policy at the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank

By Beth Ryan September 30th 2020

October 6, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics will host Julianne Dunn, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. “Good policy can’t be created in a vacuum, “says Julianne Dunn. She emphasizes including the real drivers of the economy—businesses and workers—to ground and inform economic policy.

To register, email bryan@allegheny.edu

As an economic analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, she combines insight from business and community leaders with economic data to assess regional conditions and to craft the policy message for briefing President Loretta Mester ahead of each FOMC meeting. She also contributes to Bank publications including the Beige Book, District Data Briefs, and Metro Mix.

While pursuing master’s degrees in International Relations and Economics at Syracuse University, Julianne researched how multinational companies contribute to economic growth in developing countries. During an internship with the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service in Bangkok, Thailand, she advocated for more resources to strengthen the United States-Cambodia trade and investment relationship. Before joining the Fed, Julianne worked on economic forecasts as an economist at MarketResearch.com. A lifelong Big Ten football fan, she received a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Ohio State University.

Fields Jackson, Jr. ‘80 Makes the Business Case for Diversity

By Beth Ryan September 21st 2020

On September 8, the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics welcomed Fields Jackson, Jr. ‘80, who presented “Making the Business Case for Diversity.”

The first talk in this year’s Seeking Justice in a Divided Nation Lunchtime Lecture series, Jackson shared his Allegheny journey to NASCAR and ultimately to his current position as the Founder, CEO and Chief Cheerleader of Racing Toward Diversity Magazine, President, College Diversity Network and Executive Director of the Historically Black Colleges & Universities Business Dean Roundtable. In this presentation he explains how diversity improves company performance both in profitability and innovation, particularly when problems are complex.

Click here to view this presentation on YouTube

He asked students, How do you know if a company values diversity?

Here’s Fields Jackson’s 7 Tips to prepare for your next job or internship interview:

Check out the Board of Directors (generally found on the investor website), do you see diversity?
Take a look at the senior or executive staff, same question.
Who are the company’s partners, their networks or affiliations?
Do they have a public vendor program? Do they attend special events?
Do they attend Diversity job fairs?
Are they active in social media, do they walk the talk?
Google the company, what are people saying?

Network with Fields by connecting with him on LinkedIn.

Fields Jackson

Mr. Jackson is currently the Founder, CEO and Chief Cheerleader of Racing Toward Diversity Magazine, Cary, NC, President, College Diversity Network and Executive Director of the HBCU Business Dean Roundtable. Fields was recognized by Diversity Best Practices as one of the Top Diversity Thought Leaders on Twitter.

Fields has also been identified by Onalytica, London, England, who helps run inﬂuencer programs for some of the largest brands in the world as #13 of the top 100 global inﬂuencers focusing on Gender Equality and Diversity. Hive Learning recently recognized Fields as one of the Most Influential Diversity & Inclusion Leaders – 2019. According to Hive – Fields Jackson is an influential Diversity and Inclusion advocate and expert who publishes Racing Toward Diversity magazine. He advocates that job seekers conduct their due diligence in finding Diverse workplace opportunities through research, networking and asking the right questions.

Fields received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Allegheny College, Meadville, PA. Fields received his MBA Degree from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ill.

Selected Topics in Neuromarketing: Influencing Consumer Decision Making in the COVID Era

By Beth Ryan September 17th 2020

Dr. Michael Barbara, Chief Behavioral officer at Clicksuasion Labs, will Zoom in on September 23 to update students on how consumer behavior has shifted in the “new normal.”

With literally thousands of decisions that we make each time you step into a grocery store or a Best Buy or your favorite clothing store – how do you decide what to buy? More important, how do these stores decide how to persuade you to pick one item over another? Push this button instead of that one? Attend this Zoom lecture to get insight on what’s going on behind the scenes before you make your next shopping trip. Meet Michael Barbera on YouTube

Email bryan@allegheny.edu for more information and registration.

Dr. Michael Barbera is an award-winning consumer psychologist and business strategist for Fortune 50 companies. He is a leading expert in the complex factors that drive the entire consumer decision-making process, including consumer behavior, emotion, and experience. His practice areas include social psychology, decision-making, brand management, marketing, product placement, and long-term business growth strategies.

As the chief behavioral officer at Clicksuasion Labs, Michael helps clients to better understand consumer influence and consumer behavior, both online and in person. With Michael’s help, companies build customer experiences that are more efficient, engaging, and effective. He also creates evidence-based solutions that affect both external marketing strategy and internal operations management with behavioral economics and behavioral finance.

Michael has worked with large organizations including Boeing, Microsoft, The Washington Post, John Deere, Harley Davidson, LendLease, the United States Department of Defense, and the United States Department of State. He has also worked with academic institutions including Ithaca College, Purdue University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina. Michaels’s clients have also appeared on the Billboard Top 40, ABC’s Shark Tank, Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.

Michael champions entrepreneurs and business leaders as a teacher, moderator, and mentor. In 2015, the White House recognized Michael for his many contributions to entrepreneurship. Michael shares research, insights, and thought leadership as a celebrated keynote speaker, host of the Clicksuasion podcast, and dynamic TEDx presenter. More than 100,000 people have seen Michael speak on four continents, and he has earned more than 250,000 views online.