On March 27 from 8 a.m. to noon, the Department of Economics and Finance will host the Appalachian Highlands Economic Forum in the ETSU Martin Center.
“The forum is intended to engage both students and the public. We have our faculty presenting some research on both regional and national economic issues,” said Taylor Stevenson, chair of the Department of Economics and Finance.
Four ETSU professors will be presenting at the event. Aryaman Bhatnagar, an assistant professor of economics, will be speaking about national debt. Anca Traian, an associate professor of finance, will explain the role of artificial intelligence in finance. Jon Smith, director of Bureau of Business and Economic Research, will talk about healthcare’s role in the regional economy. Lastly, William J. Trainor Jr., director of the Center for the Study of Finance, will talk about the stock market in the past, present and future, explaining how it plays a major role in the market’s valuation at any given time.
There will also be two guest speakers: Leton L. Harding Jr., CEO of Powell Valley Bank, and Tom Barkin, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
“The Federal Reserve is instrumental in setting monetary policy. They set a target interest rate that’s the big announcement that comes out throughout the year. [Barkin] is involved and will provide some insight into how that process works,” Stevenson said.
Barkin is also on the Federal Open Market Committee — the chief monetary policy body of the Federal Reserve. He spends a great deal of time active in the region the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond serves, drawing attention to the economic challenges the area is facing.
This is the fourth year ETSU has hosted the Appalachian Highlands Economic Forum.
“We received a lot of positive feedback from the people who attended,” Stevenson said. “It seemed to be a popular event so we’ve continued it. It is a little bit exciting to feel like we are actually having some impact on things.”
When asked about the purpose of the event, Stevenson said it was to engage the local business community.
“I believe our dean had a meeting with President Noland and said it would be nice if we had something to engage the local business community, so Dean Pittarese and I discussed it, and now Associate Dean Jill Hayter and I worked together to produce the first couple of them,” Stevenson said. “It seems to also be a good event for our students, people who are majors in economics and finance, to network with the business leaders who attend the forum.”
The event is open to all students and community members, and admission is free. However, tickets are required and must be reserved ahead of time. A link to the tickets can be found on the Department of Economics and Finance webpage.
