Media Advisory: WVU has experts available to discuss 'official' recession

December 2nd, 2008

Now that a group of leading economists has officially declared that America is in a recession, what does that mean for West Virginia?

Is the state still better prepared to weather the financial strife gripping the nation, as predicted last month at the 15th annual West Virginia Economic Outlook Conference in Charleston?

Are more economic bailouts and stimulus packages on the agenda, and how effective have the ones already approved by Congress been?

West Virginia University has experts who can comment on these and other issues related to the continuing economic crisiswhich the National Bureau of Economic Research on Monday (Dec. 1) labeled a recession that started in December 2007.

They are:

  • Tom Witt, associate dean of the WVU College of Business and Economics and director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research within the college. He specializes in regional economics, the West Virginia economy and energy and public utility. He is available at 304-293-7835 or Tom.Witt@mail.wvu.edu .
  • George Hammond, associate director of the bureau and director of the West Virginia Economic Outlook Project. His expertise is in forecasting the economies of West Virginia and its regions. He can be reached at 304-293-7876 or George.Hammond@mail.wvu.edu .
  • George Selgin, the BB&T Chair in Free Market Thought in the College of Business and Economics. His areas of expertise include economic history, monetary economics, banking and macroeconomics. He can address the failure of regulation and disincentives in the current regulatory environment. He can be reached at 304-293-4526 or George.Selgin@mail.wvu.edu .
  • Russell Sobel, James Clark Coffman Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies in the College of Business and Economics. He specializes in public economics with a particular emphasis on public choice, entrepreneurship and free-market philosophy. He is available at 304-293-7864 or Russell.Sobel@mail.wvu.edu .
  • Michael V. Risch, associate professor in the WVU College of Law. His areas of expertise include patent and copyright law and entrepreneurship. He is available at 304-293-6838 or Michael.Risch@mail.wvu.edu .
  • andre douglas pond cummings, professor of law at WVU . His background is in business organizations, international intellectual property and securities regulation. He can be reached at 304-293-7776 or andre.cummings@mail.wvu.edu .