Economics

Expertise 

Background Facts 

Contact 

Matt Nowakowski, Master of Business Administration Director, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Nowakowski’s areas of expertise include education and global economics.

Nowakowski holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He has traveled abroad to work with companies on global economics and training the workforce on research focused leadership.

Clayton Tenquist, Executive Director of External Affairs - Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, 612-728-5199, tenquist@smumn.edu

John Olson, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics, College of Saint  Benedict/
 Saint John’s University

Olson’s fields of expertise include American economic history, macroeconomic theory and policy, and monetary theory and policy.

The federal tax rebate checks - due in May - will have a limited effect and only partially mitigate the decline in economic activity. Analyses of similar tax rebate programs in the past show only a portion (estimates range from 40 to 60 percent) of the rebates are spent with the balance saved or used to pay down existing household debt.

Mike Killeen, Assistant Director of Media Relations, College of Saint Benedict/ Saint John's University, 320-363-5078, mkilleen@csbsju.edu

Tony Becker, Associate Professor of Economics, St. Olaf College, 507-786-3974, 507-645-9628 (h), becker@stolaf.edu

Becker’s research involves the sub-prime lending crisis and how it is affecting rural areas.

While studying sub-prime lending, Becker has noticed that the "breaking point" for the issue actually appears to have come in 2003, when the proportion of sub-prime-loans "really took off." As for overall economic woes, a tax cut or rebate, he says, may not be an effective stimulant for the economy right now. And the falling dollar? According to Becker, it's not all bad as it helps to decrease imports and increase exports.

David Gonnerman, St. Olaf media relations, 507-786-3315, gonnermd@stolaf.edu

Mark Kanazawa, Professor of Economics, Carleton College

Kanazawa can speak to water economics and in particular water rights in California. Some western states have begun to discuss how rapid development is affecting water usage and rights and how prior to now water managers, developers and government agencies have had little interaction in this area.

Kanazawa regularly teaches courses in environmental and natural resources economics, western economic history, economics of sports and econometrics. His research interests include issues of political economy, regulation and public policy as applied to natural resources. In particular, he has been researching the political economy of water rights in California.

Eric Sieger, Director of Media & Public Relations, Carleton College, 507-222-4183 (o), 507-649-1385 (c), esieger@carleton.edu, www.carleton.edu/news/

Louis Johnston, Associate Professor of Economics, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University

Johnston is a regular commentator on Minnesota Public Radio and contributor in local newspapers. Johnston is a macroeconomist and economic historian whose current research is focused on the growth and development of the Minnesota economy from 1830 to the present. He is currently working with Robert Frank on the fourth edition of Principles of Economics by Frank and Ben Bernanke.

Johnston received a B.S. from the University of Minnesota, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California.

Michael Hemmesch, Director of Media Relations, Saint John's University, 320-363-2595, mhemmesch@csbsju.edu, www.csbsju.edu/news/

Dr. David Vang, Professor and Chair of the Finance Department of the Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas, (651) 962-5127, dovang@stthomas.edu

Vang’s research specialties include the U.S. economy; he can discuss sub-prime lending, central banking and economic-stimulus efforts, and their connection to financial markets and Minnesota.

Vang holds a Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University and is co-author of Entrepreneurial Finance: An Applied Approach. Note: He has worked with many Minnesota print and broadcast reporters over the years, and has been an especially helpful resource during the recent financial turbulence.

Jim Winterer, St. Thomas News Service , 651-962-6404, jcwinterer@stthomas.edu

Dr. Bruce Corrie,
Department of Business Administration,
Professor of Economics & Chair of Undergraduate Business,
Concordia University, St. Paul

Corrie’s expertise lies in two main areas:

1. Minority and immigrant economic contributions
   
2. Minority and immigrant entrepreneurship

B.A. (Honors) in Economics, North Eastern Hill University, India, 1978
M.A. in Economics, North Eastern Hill University, India, 1981
Ph.D. in Economics, University of Notre Dame, 1987

Corrie’s new vision on the dynamic power of immigrant and ethnic capital has been well received by audiences ranging from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, to the Rural Diversity conference, El Pueblo Hispano and Minnesota Indian Economic Development Fund conferences. His views have appeared on various mainstream media outlets and the ethnic press.

Corrie was appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura to chair the Governor’s Working Group on Minority Business Development, which produced the first comprehensive report on strategies to grow immigrant and minority entrepreneurship in Minnesota.

Jill Johnson, Director of Communications, 651-641-8755 (w), 651-245-1724 (c), jjohnson@csp.edu, www.csp.edu