Michael J. Hicks, PhD, Director, Center for Business and Economic Research; and Distinguished Professor of Economics, Miller College of Business, Ball State University

Vanessa Fry, PhD, Director, Idaho Policy Institute; Associate Research Professor, School of Public Service, Boise State University

Societal impact is a hot topic in much of academia. In the context of AACSB’s 2020 business accreditation standards, societal impact refers to the ways in which a business school’s mission and strategic plan guide actions that positively influence society—at local, regional, national, or international levels. Business schools have been tasked with defining the impact objectives and strategies that align with the communities they serve.

RELEVANT READING

AACSB Report – Exploring the Positive Societal Impact of Business Schools (PDF)

United Nations – 17 Sustainable Development Goals (website)

Amir Borges Ferreira Neto, Regional Economic Research Institute, Florida Gulf Coast University

Additional Credit to: Rushaine Goulbourne (goulbourne92@gmail.com), Amanda Ross (aross@cba.ua.edu)

Using data on Florida elections we will document how political economy considerations affect the likelihood that areas are declared FEMA disaster areas. This will help determine if the Governor is more likely to declare marginal areas as disaster areas if the representative is a member of his political party. Preliminary results indicate that those areas that were classified as FEMA disaster ares but did not actually experience hurricane force winds were more likely to see positive impacts on businesses. Once we have established these initial political economy relationships, we will then tie this to small business outcomes using the National Establishment Time-Series (NETS) database for Florida. In particular, we will focus on likelihood of birth and death, the likelihood of movement type, as well as business performance such as employment growth.

Benjamin McKay, Assistant Director, Center for Business Analytics and Economic Research, Georgia Southern University

O.C.G.A. § 48-8-3.2 exempts manufacturers from paying state and local sales taxes on goods and services necessary to the manufacturing process—consumable supplies, energy, equipment, industrial materials, and machinery. The same code section includes companies engaged in mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction, electric power generation, and newspaper publishing. Of the industries exempted by the code section, manufacturing represents more than 90% of establishments, jobs, and state gross domestic product.

CBAER estimated the economic activity associated with the manufacturing industry. It found that companies receiving the exemption supported an average of 424,333 total jobs over the FY 2018 to FY 2022 period.

Not all economic activity associated with these companies is due to the sales tax exemption. While CBAER noted that the exemption is important in the manufacturing industry, it estimated that only 25% of companies would have made a different manufacturing decision in its absence. As a result, activity attributable to the exemption is reduced (424,333 jobs*25% = 106,083).

National statistics often overlook the true drivers of economic growth at regional level. This session’s presenters will showcase their novel techniques to better understand broad regional economic trends both positive as well as negative. Their research methods and case studies are designed to help decision-makers with insights into industry growth, labor readiness, skill gaps and difficulties facing economic development efforts in rural areas. The first speaker(s) will present an overview of the American Growth Project’s objectives and models, developed for forecasting economic characteristics for 150 Extended Metropolitan Areas (EMAs) throughout the United States, as well as an analysis of the Boise EMA. The second speaker’s focus is West Virginia, specifically the vicious cycle facing much of the state where previous losses have created more widespread harm, thereby, making new economic development efforts even more challenging.

Shannon Harris, MBA, Associate Director, American Growth Project, Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Additional credit to: Cody Morris, Senior Economic Research Analyst, Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

The United States, known for its diverse geographies and cultures, also exhibits significant economic diversity. National statistics often overlook the true drivers of economic growth. By examining America’s microeconomies—our counties, cities and towns—we can better understand broader economic trends. However, the necessary data to explain why some towns thrive while others falter is often lacking. To address this, the Kenan Institute has launched the American Growth Project (AGP), offering real-time economic data, analysis, and forecasting for towns, cities, and counties. This initiative supports decision-makers with insights into industry growth, labor readiness, skill gaps, and the urban-rural economic divide.

We will present an overview of the American Growth Project’s objectives and models, developed for forecasting economic characteristics for 150 Extended Metropolitan Areas (EMAs) throughout the United States, as well as an analysis of the Boise EMA. We will also discuss lessons learned from AGP’s partnerships and translational research.

John Deskins, Director, Bureau of Business and Economic Research, West Virginia University

I consider a vicious cycle that plagues many rural communities in Appalachia. The cycle began with reliance on a dominant industry, followed by a shock to that industry. What followed was out-migration of younger, healthier, and better educated men and women, leaving the community older, less healthy, and less educated. Further, problems associated with drug abuse correlate highly with a lack of economic opportunity. Altogether, this shock ultimately rendered these communities even less attractive to potential development, thus the vicious cycle. Place-based economic development strategies are poorly equipped to improve this situation, compared to a situation in which leaders work to accelerate existing positive momentum. Lessons learned can be applied to many rural nationwide.

Bina Patel Shrimali, DrPH, Vice President, Community Development, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Bina Patel Shrimali is Vice President of Community Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and serves as the Bank’s Community Affairs Officer. In this role, she provides leadership and strategic direction for the community development team’s research and engagement initiatives to advance economic resilience and mobility of low-income communities by addressing barriers to economic participation. She oversees the team’s efforts in priority areas of healthy and resilient communities, a thriving labor force, and an inclusive financial system.

Dr. Shrimali previously managed the community development research team at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, providing guidance for the department’s research agenda and publications. Prior topics of her own work include systemic economic barriers that drive racial birth disparities and implications for labor market outcomes, child care’s role in enabling economic participation, and estimations of state-level GDP gains from closing gaps in the labor market.

Prior to joining the San Francisco Fed, Dr. Shrimali worked at the Alameda County Public Health Department where she launched projects focused on addressing neighborhood and economic factors to improve health for young children and families, several of which have been nationally recognized and duplicated in other parts of the country. She led the implementation of a national neighborhood-based project in East Oakland called Best Babies Zone.

Dr. Shrimali received her BA in Economics and English, Masters in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Doctorate in Public Health, all from UC Berkeley.

Adam Illig, Data Scientist, Business Research Division, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder

This presentation gives an overview of market research performed with the Center for Translational Research at CU. Clients include startups, companies, and professors seeking federal funding.

Douglas White, Louisiana State University Shreveport

The Northwest Louisiana Economic Dashboard combines public, Census, and city data to create a snapshot of the local economy. Visualizations are created in Tableau. The dashboard acts as a data-rich reference for prospective investors/developers in Northwest Louisiana and was created with encouragement from the local Chamber of Commerce.

Phillip Cartwright, PhD, Director, Center for Applied Business and Management Research; and Dean of International DBA Program, Ascencia Business School, Collège de Paris

Ascencia Center for Applied Business and Management Research (CABMR) is the research center of Ascencia Business School, founding member of Collège de Paris, with an emphasis on applied research in the areas of management and business administration.

CABMR offers opportunities to faculty, researchers, and DBA candidates, as well as professionals and practitioners from international partners / affiliates institutions, to conduct research activities in management and business administration to address real-world challenges, and to participate in relevant symposiums, colloquiums, and conferences.

Jennifer Green, PhD, Director, Center for Economic Development and Business Research, Jacksonville State University

Michael J. Hicks, PhD, Director, Center for Business and Economic Research, Ball State University; and Visiting Professor, Virginia Military Institute

Matt Kammer-Kerwick, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Bureau of Business Research, IC² Institute, University of Texas Austin

Rod Motamedi, MBA, Assistant Director, Economic & Public Policy Research, Donahue Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Frederick R. Treyz, PhD, CEO and Chief Economist, Regional Economic Models, Inc. (Chair)

This panel discusses the future of America’s economic geography. Recent trends suggest growing mobility within states and across state lines. New technologies that have persisted from the COVID-19 pandemic allow for a more distributed workforce; state, fiscal, and social policies are diverging; climate change and international immigration are accelerating. Our panel of experts considers how these changes affect the short and long-term location of people and jobs in the U.S.

Our presenters will discuss the potential future of regional economic development in their own region and across the U.S. They will also explain how their center is engaging with local stakeholders to understand and adapt to forthcoming changes in the demographics and economics of their region.

Erik Jeffries, MA, Director of Marketing, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder

James McCafferty, MBA, Director, Center for Economic and Business Research, College of Business and Economics, Western Washington University

Victoria Meldrum, MA, Manager of Publications and Web Services, Center for Business and Economic Research, Miller College of Business, Ball State University

Nicholas Thiriot, MPP, MBA, Communications Director, Ken C. Gardner Policy Institute, Eccles School of Business, University of Utah

A DIY-style session designed to provide personalized advice, guidance, and solutions for center leaders and marketing/communications specialists looking to improve your center’s marketing, communications, and operational effectiveness.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear power reactors that represent a significant innovation in nuclear energy, offering a more flexible, scalable, and potentially cost-effective approach to power generation. SMRs are a fraction of the size of conventional nuclear power reactors and designed for modular construction. This allows them to be built in stages, deployed in a variety of locations, and tailored to meet regional energy needs. As pressure to decarbonize energy systems grows, SMRs have the potential to play a pivotal role in the transition to clean energy.

In this session, experts from Boise State University, the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Texas at Austin will provide insights into the cost structures, use cases, and supply chain dynamics that will shape the future of SMRs. In addition to learning more about SMRs, attendees will gain perspectives that will inform their work and interests in broader fields like energy analysis, economic modeling, infrastructure development, and the complexities of regional and national supply chains.

Geoffrey Black, Boise State University

“Nuclear Microreactors: Technology and Market Assessment“

Matt Kammer-Kerwick, University of Texas Austin

Abstract for presentation

Brian Lewandowski, Business Research Division, Leeds College of Business, University of Colorado Boulder

Bruce Kellison, Bureau of Business Research, University of Texas Austin

“Modeling the SMR Supply Chain and Deployment Using REMI”

Diego Mendez-Carbajo, DA, Senior Economic Education Specialist, Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

What is FRED? Short for Federal Reserve Economic Data, FRED is an online database consisting of hundreds of thousands of economic data time series from scores of national, international, public, and private sources. FRED, created and maintained by the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, goes far beyond simply providing data: It combines data with a powerful mix of tools that help the user understand, interact with, display, and disseminate the data. In essence, FRED helps users tell their data stories. The purpose of this article is to guide the potential (or current) FRED user through the various aspects and tools of the database.

Olivier Leroy, Senior Data Engineer, Center on Rural Innovation / Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc.

Right now, 12% of America’s workforce lives in rural America but only 5% of the nation’s tech employment is in rural areas. By 2030, we want rural America to have 12% of the nation’s tech economy jobs, distributed to match the gender and race demographics of each region.

The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is a nonprofit organization partnering with rural leaders across the country to build tech economies that support scalable entrepreneurship and lead to more tech jobs in rural America. To maximize all possible resources, CORI partners with a taxable nonprofit, Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. (RISI), and a seed fund, CORI Innovation Fund (CIF), focused on early-stage technology companies located in rural areas.

Andrew Woods, Director, Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Nevada Las Vegas

The City of Las Vegas worked with the UNLV CBER to examine the local economy and determine the focus of a new 10-year target. This presentation will review the project and three scenarios; the reasoning, modeling, and assumptions for each; how they were presented; and the ultimate result.

John Rees, Senior Advisor for Community and Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Monica Haynes, Director, Bureau of Business and Economic Research; and Adjunct Professor, Department of Economics and Health Care Management, University of Minnesota Duluth

Public assistance programs are designed to be a bridge to economic stability; as individuals take home more earnings and become more financially stable, their benefits will decrease. Yet in some cases, by accepting a raise or increasing the number of working hours and, thus, wages, an individual may unintentionally reduce their net income (i.e., their combined wage plus benefits). This occurrence is sometimes referred to as a “benefits cliff” and can act as a barrier to career advancement for low-income individuals.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Advancing Careers Initiative conducts research on benefits cliffs, examines solutions that mitigate or eliminate the effects of these cliffs, and develops tools that support community and state efforts aimed at advancing family economic mobility and resilience, meet the talent needs of businesses, and ultimately contribute to a healthy economy.

The Advancing Careers Initiative’s Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster (CLIFF) Suite includes three separate tools: Snapshot, Dashboard, and Planner. Snapshot is for clients interested in understanding the potential short-term financial impact of a new job or income change. Dashboard is for clients who want long-term planning and includes information on potential financial barriers to career advancement. Planner is intended for clients who want detailed career planning and includes a customized budget to help navigate potential financial barriers to career advancement. All three tools are available for every county in the U.S.

While the CLIFF tool can be used directly by career counselors and job seekers to understand how individual career decisions will impact a person financially, it also has many applications for researchers and policymakers. For example, the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research has used the tool to estimate the financial benefits of two career scenarios and a baseline scenario over the course of an adult’s working lifetime, to estimate the economic value of career advancement in the context of moving individuals and families from public assistance to a career.

This session includes a presentation by John Rees, Senior Advisor for Community and Economic Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, on the CLIFF tool and its development, along with Monica Haynes, the director of UMD’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, on how their team has used the tool in several workforce development-related applications.

The Wassmuth Center for Human Rights was founded in 1996 for the purpose of constructing a tribute to human rights. That vision became a reality when the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial opened to the public in 2002.

The Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial includes a life-sized bronze statue of Anne Frank as she peers out an open window. The Memorial is comprised of several major elements: Attic Amphitheater, Memorial Quotes Walls, Water Feature, Rose Beal Legacy Garden, and Marilyn Shuler Classroom for Human Rights. Human rights quotes are incorporated within these elements and featured throughout the Memorial.

The Wassmuth Center provides programs and resources designed to bring the Memorial’s message into classrooms and communities. The brand-new Philip E. Batt Education Building houses the center’s staff, educational programs, docent-led tours, and a gift shop.

Katie R. Genadek, PhD, Director, Decennial Census Digitization and Linkage Project, U.S. Census Bureau; and Faculty Research Associate, Institute for Behavioral Science, University of Colorado – Boulder

Katie R. Genadek, PhD, is the director of the Decennial Census Digitization and Linkage (DCDL) project at the U.S. Census Bureau and a faculty research associate at the Institute for Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado – Boulder. She works on the creation, linkage, and dissemination of large person-level microdata, and she is passionate about documenting Census Bureau and administrative data. Genadek’s research is focused on family, fertility, work, and policy impacts on women’s well-being. She has ongoing work in areas of couples’ time spent together, women’s wages over the life course, demographic measurement, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on work and time use. She also analyzes the effects of family planning policies with the Colorado Fertility Project and M-CARES.

Thomas Paulson, Director of Research and Business Development, Placer.ai

A vast amount of interconnected data is required to create a truly accurate and complete picture of what’s going on at a location. This data falls into two broad categories—Point of interest (POI) data offering information on places such as a grocery store, retail centers and wider areas, and geospatial data such as impactful events in the area, traffic data and future development projects.

The most basic level of the platform is converting the data into real-world constructs, including tables, charts, maps and other graphics displaying cross shopping, trade areas, cannibalization, risk analysis, visit frequency, etc. Advanced solutions in the Placer development pipeline include void analysis, sales forecasting, site selection for retail chains, market selection, market change reports, product optimization for CPG, etc.

Jennifer Green, PhD, Director, Center for Economic Development and Business Research, Jacksonville State University

Abstract for presentation

David Aadland, Center for Business and Economic Analysis, University of Wyoming

Co-authors: Christelle Khalaf, University of Illinois Chicago; Irene Zapata Moran, University of Wyoming; Brian Harnisch, University of Wyoming

The Pilot Hill Recreation and Wildlife Habitat Management Area is a newly conserved landscape of more than 7,000 acres connecting Laramie, Wyoming neighborhoods to over 65,000 acres of State and National Forest Lands in the Laramie Range. Through a household survey that sampled over 1,000 households from Albany County, Wyoming and the surrounding region, we use contingent valuation and conjoint analysis to estimate the non-market value of Pilot Hill. Using the more conservative contingent valuation estimates, the average valuation for Pilot Hill was $9.43 per household per visit, which aggregates to an overall regional economic benefit of $4.27 million per year. Households also reported preferring the current Pilot Hill recreation plan with trails more than 2:1 over leaving Pilot Hill as open space or using the area for other more economic development projects. Survey respondents indicate that the two most important attributes of Pilot Hill are protecting the area from residential development, and connecting Laramie, Wyoming to National Forest and state recreation lands.

Heather Stephens, RRI, West Virginia University

How Economic Development Incentives Affect Racial and Gender Segregation of Employment and Wages

Amanda Weinstein, Center for Rural Innovation

Neighborhood Quality of Life and the Role of the ’Third Place’

Michael J. Hicks, PhD, Director, Center for Business and Economic Research, Ball State University
and Virginia Military Institute

Spatial Equilibrium and Quality of Life (1980-2019)

Richard R. Hawkins, PhD, Economic Adviser, Haas Center; and Former Chair and Professor, Department of Commerce, Supply Chain Logistics, and Economics, University of West Florida

Matthew Fredriksson, Research Assistant, Haas Center; and Undergraduate Student, Economics, University of West Florida

In the new economy, industry clusters can be striking. This study examines one result of the phenomenon, differences in earnings for the Information sector across U.S. metropolitan areas. Prior research indicates that clusters are often driven by knowledge spillovers. We simulate a breakup: relocating a large information firm from a higher-wage area to a lower-wage area. The relocation analysis will focus on occupations and wages in both metropolitan areas.

Nyesha Black, Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Alabama

In October 2023, Alabama’s House formed an ad hoc committee – called the House Labor Shortage Commission – to examine Alabama’s labor force participation rates. In announcing the newly formed committee, The House’s speaker, Nathaniel Ledbetter, stated the following:

“Alabama is witnessing record-breaking economic growth and historically low unemployment rates. Despite these numbers, in Alabama, there are roughly 140,000 job openings and, at the same time, 48,834 unemployed workers across our state. That means we are lacking nearly 100,000 workers over 16-years-old, which puts our labor force participation rate at a mere 57 percent—one of the lowest rates in the entire country.”
The speaker’s comments are further highlighted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent economic data, which reveals that Alabama has the 7th lowest unemployment rate, in the country, at 2.3 percent, but the state also has the 5th lowest labor force participation rate. Nevertheless, the state’s economy is expected to grow by 1.5 percent in 2023, and 0.8 percent in 2024. There is a relationship among these three economic indicators; as such, changes in the number of people in the labor force have a salient effect on economic growth, and the current status of Alabama’s labor force presents a challenge to state lawmakers and economic development specialists who work to recruit and retain businesses. It also has implications for existing businesses that aim to expand their current workforce.

This economic conundrum yields the prevailing question: why is there a labor shortage in Alabama? In short, the answer to this question is complex and multifold. Yet, a part of the economic complexity lies within another complex phenomenon – population dynamics. More specifically, population growth and population aging, both of which operate to have upward or downward economic pressure on labor force growth. Hence the answer to the prevailing question is: Alabama labor shortage is due, in part, to the state’s lower population growth and older population; and while Alabama is not the only state grappling with this issue, it does has a relatively older population and lower population growth rate compared the national averages. Thus, the challenge of the labor force shortage in Alabama is relatively more paramount than it is for most states.

This paper will further investigate and unravel the relationship between population aging and labor force participation. The scope of this investigation is not exhaustive, but it will elucidate the nexus between Alabama’s demography and its economy. Furthermore, this investigation may also lend to a better understanding of how Alabama’s stakeholders may mitigate labor force shortages via data-informed policies and targeted efforts to improve labor force participation.

Nicole Gislason, Executive Director, Haas Center, University of West Florida

Dan Hunt, JD, Enterprise Account Executive, Lightcast

Abstract for presentation

Rod Motamedi, Donahue Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Abstract for presentation

Amanda Weinstein, PhD, Center on Rural Innovation

Abstract for presentation

Amir Borges Ferreira Neto, Regional Economic Research Institute, Florida Gulf Coast University

Coauthors: Caroline Welter, West Virginia University; Daniel Centuriao, West Virginia University; Fernando S. Perobelli, Federal University of Juiz de Fora

This paper presents a simulation of the pandemic’s impact on Southwest Florida’s (SWFL) economy using the input-output hypothetical extraction method and public data, including the Pulse Survey. The simulations analyze job losses due to lockdown policies and the effects of mitigation measures like stimulus checks and unemployment insurance. Sequential scenarios illustrate the economic impact of Covid-19 on SWFL in 2020. The contribution of this study lies in adapting the partial hypothetical method to utilize publicly available data, and applying it to a developed region in a nowcasting impact simulation setting. The findings reveal industry-heterogeneous impacts, with a severe decline in value-added during Q2. Mitigation policies offered just a partial recovery to this SWFL economy.

Catherine Bass, Belmont University Data Collaborative

Connecting the Dots: Mental Health and Student Success in Tennessee

Sam C. Ehrlich, JD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, College of Business and Economics, Boise State University

The Emergence of Economic Rights for College Athletes

Don Bruce, Boyd Center, University of Tennessee

The Economics of Sports

TBD, Boise State University

• View list of 2023-2024 committees
• View list of 2023-2024 board members

Basque Country (Euskadi) is an autonomous region along the Bay of Biscay in northern Spain and southeastern France. The region is known for its strong cultural traditions, a celebrated cuisine and a distinct language that pre-dates the Romance languages.

Boise, Idaho has the largest concentration of Basques in the world, outside of the Basque region itself.  Boise’s Basque Community is rich in history and culture.  Many Basque immigrants came to the western U.S. in the late 1800s/early 1900s for work in agriculture and were successful in sheepherding and cattle ranching.  Most Basque immigrants stayed and established themselves as businessmen, farmers, or ranchers, leading to generations of Basques working to preserve their heritage and culture through language, music, dance, food, and more.  There is even an opportunity to attain a Basque Studies minor at Boise State University.

Boise is home to the only dedicated Basque Block, an area of downtown Boise that includes a Basque Center for rentals or events, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Basque restaurants and a Basque Market that serves Basque foods as well as sells products from the Basque region.

Idaho is the 43rd state in the United States, becoming a state officially on July 3, 1890. It is the 13th state in land area (83,557 square miles) and is home to 1.8 million people in 44 counties.

Idaho’s official state seal is the only state seal designed by a woman, Emma Edwards Green. It includes the state motto: Esto Perpetua, which means “Be eternal” or “May it endure forever.” Idaho is known as “The Gem State” and the potato is the official state vegetable (huckleberry is the state fruit).

Idaho’s Elected Officials
Governor: Brad Little
Lt. Governor: Scott Bedke
Secretary of State: Phil McGrane
State Controller: Brandon D. Woolfe
State Treasurer: Julie Ellsworth
Attorney General: Raúl Labrador
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Debbie Critchfield

Idaho’s Congressional Delegation
Senator: Mike Crapo
Senator: James E. Risch
Representative: Mike Simpson
Representative: Russ Fulcher

Sarah Quintanar, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Advanced Data Analytics, University of North Texas

Frederick R. Treyz, PhD, CEO and Chief Economist, Regional Economic Models, Inc.

Marc Schaffer, PhD, Director, Center for Business and Economic Analysis; and Professor of Data Analytics and Economics, Schneider School of Business and Economics, St. Norbert College

As AI technologies rapidly evolve, their implications for regional economic research and development are profound. This panel focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities that AI presents to AUBER (Association for University Business and Economic Research) centers. We will explore how AUBER centers can leverage AI to enhance their research capabilities, support regional economies, and influence policy-making while navigating the ethical considerations that come with AI adoption.

Discussions will delve into the role of AUBER centers in integrating “transformative” AI applications into their work, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a “human in the loop” to ensure ethical use and quality output. By examining real-world examples and expert insights, the panel will address how AUBER centers can lead the way in responsible AI implementation, ensuring that these technologies drive positive economic outcomes without compromising ethical standards.