Academics

Goetz named president-elect of North American Regional Science Council

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, recently was appointed president-elect of the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC).

Goetz will begin his one-year term in January 2019. As president, in addition to delivering the presidential address at the annual meeting in November in Pittsburgh, Goetz will serve on the NARSC Honors Committee for a three-period, including one year as chair. The Honors Committee identifies the annual recipients of the council's most prestigious awards — the Isard, Hewings and Boyce awards.

As director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, Goetz provides leadership for rural and community development research and extension activities across 13 states. This responsibility includes linking state activities to regional and national initiatives. Goetz's research focuses on the determinants and effects of economic growth and development, with current applications of network science principles to economic growth, resilience and innovation.

"As a member of NARSC, I already have benefited from the interdisciplinary exchange the organization fosters around methods and theoretical frameworks specifically designed for regional analysis," said Goetz. "I'm very pleased for this opportunity to serve as president of an organization whose mission aligns so closely with the regional research perspective of the Northeast Regional Center."

According to its website, NARSC is an "international scholarly organization that focuses on regional analysis ranging from urban and spatial economic theories to applied problems and public policies in regional development, sustainability, environmental management, transportation, land use and many other contemporary issues of our societies." Members represent a broad range of academic disciplines, including economics, agricultural economics, public policy, urban planning, civil engineering, geography, finance and demography.

"In searching for a president, the NARSC Nominations Committee looks for someone who is engaged in research that is both interesting and cutting-edge. Also, as that individual delivers the NARSC presidential address at our annual meeting, he or she must be an engaging speaker," said NARSC Executive Director Neil Reid of the University of Toledo. "In choosing Stephan, members of the Nominations Committee felt that they found someone who checked all of these boxes."

Last Updated December 12, 2018

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