Conference Takes on Brain Gain, Brain Drain and Higher Education
So how bad IS brain drain in the Erie area? Are we really losing our best and brightest...or are our fears overblown? And what can we do about it? With the recent growth of our colleges, might there be actual brain GAIN ?
If those questions are of interest to you, please attend the Ninth ERIE Economic Conference, to be held Monday July 25, 2011 on the Penn State Behrend campus. The title of this year's conference is Brain Gain and Brain Drain: The Importance of Higher Education and Erie’s Creative Class. The conference will run from 8 AM through 3 PM.
"This is the institute's ninth conference dedicated to the economic health of the Erie region and due to the nature of the
topic, we are excited that the Vital Signs partners are sponsors," said Anne Sekula, vice president of Programs. "Not only will good dialogue take place, but action items will be implemented."
Details of the Conference:
The day will begin with continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m. followed by a welcome from Penn State Behrend Chancellor Dr.
Donald Birx and Michael Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation and partner of Vital Signs.
8:40 a.m.
Dr. James Kurre, director of
E.R.I.E.
and associate professor of Economics, will report on the current state of Erie's economy, how Erie has weathered the recession and where we stand now
compared to the
U.S.
9:15 a.m.
Dr. James Kurre will report on the Brain Gain/Brain Drain study using 10 years of data (2000-2009) on 17,000 graduates of Penn State Behrend, Gannon University and Edinboro University. He will focus on students' hometowns, where they are now, and how those geographical choices relate to their educational and demographic characteristics. Results compare graduates' majors,
GPA,
gender and race, offering a snapshot of which demographics are more likely to stay or leave.
10:15 a.m. BREAK
10:45 a.m.
Dr. James Kurre will provide an overview of the higher education sector in the Erie Area.
11:00 a.m.
Featured speaker Dr. Jaison Abel, a senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, will discuss how higher
education and human capital impact a region's economic development.
The lunch speaker, Steven Pedigo, director of research for Richard Florida's The Creative Class Group, will present "Why
Place Matters for Erie." Pedigo will discuss the concept of a creative class—the diverse mix of people and occupations in a
particular area—and how that creative class impacts the local economy, with an emphasis on the importance of higher education.
1:30 p.m.
New to this year's conference are voluntary afternoon breakout sessions to discuss Creative Class Group's concept of the Four T 's—talent, technology, tolerance and territorial assets. The sessions will focus on Erie's circumstances relative to brain
gain, brain drain, higher education, and what our community can do.
3:00 p.m. Adjournment
Make your reservation today!
To register, call 814-898-7149 or visit ERIE data.org.
Cost includes conference materials, the latest edition of "The E.R.I.E. Guide to the Erie Economy," plus breakfast and lunch. Those registering by Friday, July 15th can take advantage of early bird conference rates: $129 for a standard registration or $65 for nonprofit, government and economic development officials. After July 15th, conference rates increase to $149 and $75 respectively.