Yesterday’s address by Carl Schramm at the National Press Club included both good and bad news.  He presented further evidence of entrepreneurship as the catalyst for a vibrant US economy.  He also shared a poll suggesting entrepreneurs have an increasingly dim view of our country’s future competitiveness. I had the privilege of working my youth away caring for · Read More · Read More

I have always found it difficult to work on anything where I couldn’t observe progress.  Most of my life I relied on agriculture to fill this need, looking back at the furrow, the field, the farm, the year.  Sow/reap, birth/death, summer/winter – North Dakota never left one wanting for cycles.  My experiences in research and · Read More · Read More

From one who has left the university life to do business – and come back again – I can relate to those who are skeptical of how large a role universities really play in economic development.  Just this week the Tri-Cities invited economic development consultant Bill Fruth as a speaker to one of ‘east’ Washington’s · Read More · Read More

I’ve recently had the privilege of observing three other U.S. geographic regions working to earn (or keep) their university/government/private sector economic development engines running. Organized by the WA state Senate Committee on Economic Development, Trade and Management, we’ve examined San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta.  Each proved instructive and unique.  And each has much · Read More · Read More

Originally published in John’s Journal: Research and Development by the University of Missouri. Copyright 2006, Curators of the University of Missouri. Public research universities are faced with the ongoing challenge of finding the best combination of funding sources to match their missions. The relative proportion of funding from the state, tuition and fees, services, gifts · Read More · Read More

Originally published in John’s Journal: Research and Development by the University of Missouri. Copyright 2006, Curators of the University of Missouri. Public research universities are faced with the ongoing challenge of finding the best combination of funding sources to match their missions. The relative proportion of funding from the state, tuition and fees, services, gifts · Read More · Read More

‘A very exaggerated idea of the difficulty of bread making prevails amongst persons who are entirely ignorant of the process.’ Eliza Acton, The English Bread Book, 1857 A question I’ve repeatedly asked  faculty, staff, elected officials, business people, journalists, and Washingtonians in general is – what is economic development and what does WSU have to · Read More · Read More

Originally published in John’s Journal: Research and Development by the University of Missouri. Copyright 2007, Curators of the University of Missouri. Most people can readily identify with the “old” economy. They envision Yeoman farmers, generations-held storefronts, and reliance on big industrial giants for manufactured goods and services. While you find able remnants of these in · Read More · Read More

Originally published in John’s Journal: Research and Development by the University of Missouri. Copyright 2007, Curators of the University of Missouri. The process of discovery, envisioning new ideas, and creation has always excited me. It’s what attracted me to a research career in agriculture, where I’ve tried to practice the trade from the ground up. · Read More · Read More

Originally published in John’s Journal: Research and Development by the University of Missouri. Copyright 2006, Curators of the University of Missouri. Columbia is known traditionally as Missouri’s college town. Such towns are often affectionately seen by their states as quirky — or even a bit smug. But being quirky is suspiciously similar to being innovative. · Read More · Read More