Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
The 2025 Economic Research Institute of Erie Conference will be held in the Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center in Room 180 on the Penn State Behrend campus. Upon registration, detailed parking directions, a parking permit, and a campus map will be emailed.
8:00 a.m.: Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m.: Welcome Remarks
- Dr. Ralph Ford, Chancellor, Penn State Behrend
- Dr. Ozgun Demirag, Director, Penn State Behrend, Black School of Business
8:50 a.m.: Introduction and Conference Overview
- Dr. Kenneth Louie, Director, Economic Research Institute of Erie, Penn State Behrend, Black School of Business
9:00 a.m.: The Erie Economy in 2025: Progress and Challenges
- Dr. Kenneth Louie, Director, Economic Research Institute of Erie, Penn State Behrend, Black School of Business
9:45 a.m.: International Paths to New Prosperity: The Power and Potential of Transatlantic Idea-Sharing for Places Like Erie
- John Austin, Senior Fellow, Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College; Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro
10:30 a.m.: Networking Break & Refreshments
10:45 a.m.: The Impact of CHIPS Funding on Five Regional Workforce Systems in the US
- Lavea Brachman, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro
11:30 a.m.: People, Place, Prosperity: How Infinite Erie is Coordinating Transformational Solutions to Our Community's Most Complex Challenges
- Kim Thomas, Executive Director, Infinite Erie
12:15 p.m.: Lunch
1:15 p.m.: Soft Civic Infrastructure: The Importance of Social Capital Building
- Ben Speggen, Vice President, Jefferson Educational Society
2:00 p.m.: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Erie's Economic Transformation & Revival
Andrew Bond, Graduate Research Assistant, Cadence Rand, Undergraduate Research Assistants, Economic Research Institute of Erie
2:30 p.m.: Event Evaluations, Wrap-Up, and Adjournment