Media Tip Sheet: Colorado State University Experts on the Nation’s Economic Crisis

During a historic time in the United States with the economic, housing and credit crisis, Colorado State University is providing the following experts who can discuss aspects of the current state of the nation’s economy. Following is a list of faculty members intended for reporter use only and not for publication.

Financial regulation

Ron Phillips, an economics professor, has published widely on the financial history of the United States and financial regulation in books, academic journals, newspapers, magazines and public policy briefs. He also published a widely cited book on the banking crisis of the 1930s. He has been a visiting scholar in the Division of Insurance at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in Washington, D.C., and a visiting scholar in the Bank Research Division at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, in Washington, D.C. To speak with Phillips, contact Kimberly Sorensen at (970) 491-0757 or Kimberly.Sorensen@colostate.edu.

Retirement saving and household financial risk

Nancy Jianakoplos is a professor of economics whose research focuses on household saving for retirement and household financial risk taking. She is also interested in Federal Reserve monetary policy and financial institutions. To speak with Jianakoplos, contact Kimberly Sorensen at (970) 491-0757 or Kimberly.Sorensen@colostate.edu.

Effects of credit crisis

Ramaa Vasudevan, an assistant professor of economics, has worked on the evolution of the international monetary system and the implications of financialization for the international financial system and on financial crisis. Her current work is focused on the unfolding credit crisis, particularly investigating its roots in the process of financialization and analyzing the implications of the crisis for the United States, for emerging markets and for the international monetary system. To speak with Ramaa, contact Kimberly Sorensen at (970) 491-0757 or Kimberly.Sorensen@colostate.edu.

Personal finance

Vickie Bajtelsmit, finance professor in the College of Business, can talk about the impact of the financial crisis on personal finances, taxes and jobs. She is an expert on retirement issues and is the author of three personal finance books. To speak with Bajtelsmit, contact Emily Wilmsen at (970) 491-2336 or Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu.

Global financial crisis

Deepankar Basu is an applied econometrician with interests in macroeconomics, political economy and economic development. He is studying processes of economic growth from a classical perspective. Previously he has studied empirical aspects of monetary policy in the United States and issues of gender inequality in developing countries. He can speak on some aspects of the origins, nature and spread of the current global financial crisis. To speak with Basu, contact Kimberly Sorensen at (970) 491-0757 or Kimberly.Sorensen@colostate.edu.

Regional economy

Martin Shields, regional economist for Colorado State University and the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp., can talk about the impact of the national economy on Colorado and how the state and region can emerge from recession. Additionally, he is an expert on the northern Colorado economy. To speak with Shields, contact Emily Wilmsen at (970) 491-2336 or Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu.

Stephan Weiler is a professor of economics, research associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and former assistant vice president and economist with the Federal Reserve. His current work focuses on regional economic growth and development, particularly in struggling rural areas, combining theoretical, empirical, and policy analyses in topics such as geographic informational asymmetries, public/private partnerships, industrial restructuring, housing, immigration, entrepreneurship and the environment. To speak with Weiler, contact Kimberly Sorensen at (970) 491-0757 or Kimberly.Sorensen@colostate.edu.

Pets and the economy

Recent news reports have mentioned that pet owners are having difficulty finding funds to properly care for their pets, causing some owners to relinquish them. Dr. Rebecca Ruch Gallie can talk about strategies pet owners can use at home to reduce costs of keeping a dog or a cat and give pointers related to how to make the best decisions about pet products and pet nutrition based on cost. For example, she can discuss what the most important factors are to consider when picking a cat litter or a dry dog food. She also can provide tips – such as why it’s cheaper to brush your cat or dog’s teeth than not brush – to help save pet owners money in the long run. To speak with Ruch Gallie, contact Dell Rae Moellenberg at (970) 491-6009 or DellRae.Moellenberg@colostate.edu.

Agriculture and the economy

The future of Colorado agriculture – a multi-billion dollar industry – will be explored Feb. 19 at the annual Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture at the Renaissance Denver Hotel. Steve Davies, chair of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, plus CSU professors Dawn Thilmany, James Prichett, Steve Koonts and Norm Dalsted will present details of a year-long study on the major issues facing the agriculture industry in Colorado. This study, which was conducted with the assistance of Colorado State Extension and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, includes issues of consumer demand, marketing of products, environmental factors, water, labor, land use and economic concerns. To speak with Steve Davies, or the other professors involved, contact Jim Beers at (970) 491-6401 or Jim.Beers@colostate.edu.

Real estate

Steve Laposa, director of the Everitt Real Estate Center in the College of Business at Colorado State, can talk about the impact of the economy on the real estate market on local, national and international levels. To speak with Laposa, contact Emily Wilmsen at (970) 491-2336 or Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu.

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