When asked what I would be doing for Spring Break by fellow members of the MBA Class of 2013, I got some odd looks when I replied, “helping with an economic impact study.” Many of my friends and colleagues were going to places like Cuba and Thailand, and I was doing an economic impact study? Yes, indeed.
As it turns out, the economic impact study I was helping with would make for a very rewarding Spring Break. Going in all I knew was that I would be helping Brent Lane from the Kenan Institute with his research regarding the economic impact of the USS North Carolina battleship on Wilmington, NC’s economy. I had met Brent and the other researchers briefly in a meeting on campus. In addition to Genny King and I from Kenan-Flagler, we were joined by three UNC PhD students; one in public policy, one in planning, and one in economics. I was excited for the opportunity to work with other students from other programs.
