Everything Nac

As part of its goal to provide expert economic research, analysis and consulting services in the East Texas region and beyond, Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business has established the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Housed in SFA’s Department of Economics and Finance, the nonprofit center offers data analysis, market research and economic impact analysis to the community while providing real-world training to SFA students.

“We want to become the go-to resource in the region for expert analysis and commentary on matters of economic policy and economic development,” said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of the department.

He believes new relationships can be established and existing ones strengthened between the university and local businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations through CBER, as evidenced by past projects completed through the department.

These include an analysis of sales tax revenue for the City of Nacogdoches; assessments of the economic impact of various events and entities, such as the Texas Blueberry Festival held annually in Nacogdoches and SFA’s economic contribution to the local economy; and a detailed study of the Texas Purchasing from People with Disabilities Program’s impact for the Texas Workforce Commission.

CBER also works to inform the public and media about the impact of national and state policies on the local economy, the effects of major events on the economy, and the role of new initiatives, such as the Interstate Highway 69 corridor, in local economic efforts.

In addition to increasing SFA’s outreach and visibility to the community, Kouliavtsev said the center will benefit the university in two key ways.

“A center like this attracts high-quality students and faculty to SFA and promotes collaboration with other research centers on campus,” he said. “Plus, SFA offices and departments that normally contract out market research, economic forecasts and other analyses to external consultants can request help from CBER instead.”

CBER is one of several entities launched recently by the College of Business to help bolster local businesses. Others include Business and Community Services; the Greg Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship, or ACE; and the Small Business Resource Hub, which is housed in ACE.

For more information, visit sfasu.edu/cber or contact the center at (936) 468-4301.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Consul General Richard Hyde and senior staff members from the British Consulate in Houston will make Stephen F. Austin State University their first stop on a 2,500-mile road trip celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

As part of their stop, consulate staff and university administrators will host a tree planting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, along Aikman Drive. The Nacogdoches and campus communities are invited to attend.

In addition to promoting strategic economic, trade, defense and education collaboration between the two countries, tree plantings throughout the five-state tour are meant to implement the Queen’s Green Canopy, a global sustainability initiative to plant trees in honor of the Queen’s legacy and benefit future generations.

“It is a great honor to welcome Her Majesty’s Consul General and to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee by planting a tree together as part of the Green Canopy initiative,” said Dr. Steve Westbrook, SFA interim president. “We love the lyrics of our alma mater, ”Mid Texas pines we have found peaceful shrines,’ so we have long acknowledged the beauty that trees add to our lives every day.”

“With our campus’ setting among the pines, our Lumberjack mascot, the SFA Gardens and, most importantly, the programs that are a part of our Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, SFA is an ideal stop for this historic road trip around the Lone Star State and beyond,” he added.

Along with the tree planting ceremonies, the team also will host town-hall-style “pop-up consulates” in Kilgore, Shreveport, Texarkana, Amarillo, Lubbock and Waco to meet with local businesses, civic and political leaders, and other interested groups along the tour. These meetings will highlight the close economic and cultural links the United Kingdom has with the region.

For more information on the tour, contact Elizabeth Bertram, head of press and public affairs for the British Consulate General in Houston, at elizabeth.bertram@fco.gov.uk.