Staff Members
Michael C. Carroll - Director
Michael C. Carroll, Ph.D. is the Director of BGSU’s Center for Regional Development and Associate Professor of Economics. Dr. Carroll’s business and economics career dates from 1982 and includes service as an assistant professor of economics, corporate controller, operations manager, and a corporate presidency. His research interests focus on regional economic development strategies and social economics.
Dr. Carroll is Editor-in-Chief of Regional Science Policy & Practice and Associate Editor of Economic Development Quarterly. His writings have appeared in a variety of academic journals including, the Journal of Economic Issues, Annals of Regional Science, Review of Social Economy, and the Industrial Geographer. Dr. Carroll’s first book, A Future of Capitalism: The Economic Vision of Robert Heilbroner was published by Macmillan and St. Martin’s Press in 1998. His most recent book Local Economic Development is co-authored with CRD Visiting Scholar, John P. Blair. The book is published by Sage Publications.
Dr. Carroll has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has held economics faculty positions at Colorado State University, Muskingum College, West Virginia State University, and currently, Bowling Green State University. Dr. Carroll earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Wright State University and his Ph.D. from Colorado State University.
Will M. Burns - Assistant Director
Will Burns joined the Center for Regional Development (CRD) as Assistant Director in June of 2006. Will’s primary responsibility is delivering CRD’s technical assistance programs and enhancing university engagement efforts. He has extensive practical economic and community development experience.
Prior to joining CRD he spent the last 16+ years in community and economic development in Northwestern Ohio. For most of that time he served as Director of Community and Economic Development for the Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO). His primary function at MVPO was assisting both new and existing companies with financing packages for capital expansions and funding for infrastructure improvements
Will is a member of the Ohio Department of Development’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, an affiliate board member of the Northwest Ohio Regional Economic Development agency and a member of the Northwest Ohio Development Assistance Corporation. He is a past executive board member of the Ohio Conference on Community Development (OCCD) and previously served as a member of the State Programs Committee.
Will is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a BA in Political Science and a MA in Geography. He is also a certified development financing professional through the National Development Council.
Pat Sherman - Administrative Secretary
Pat Sherman joined the Center for Regional Development as Center Secretary in June of 1999. Pat’s primary responsibility is to work closely with Dr. Carroll and the staff in the day-to-day operations of the Center.
Pat came to the University following her high school graduation and has been a Bowling Green State University employee for 28 years. She has worked in both academic and administrative areas on campus during that time including Student Financial Aid, Center for International Programs, Undergraduate Admissions, Undergraduate and Graduate Student Services in the College of Education & Human Development, Department of Business Education, and CBA Information Technology Services.
Research Assistants
- Tina Gionis
- Andrea Haas
- Hari Kandel
- Xiaokang Deng