The 小蝌蚪APP has named Dr. Stephen R. Barnes founding director of the .
Barnes directs LSU小蝌蚪APP檚 Economics and Policy Research Group, the state小蝌蚪APP檚 largest university-based economics research center. He will begin his new position at UL Lafayette in August.
Barnes said the Blanco Center 小蝌蚪APP渋s poised to become a leading source of research on the most pressing challenges facing Louisiana.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淚t will work with researchers throughout the 小蝌蚪APP, the state and beyond to inform and evaluate public policies that affect the lives of every person who calls Louisiana home. The results of these collaborations can make our state a model for change across a number of social challenges.小蝌蚪APP
He continued: 小蝌蚪APP淕overnor Blanco小蝌蚪APP檚 efforts to establish a public policy center at UL Lafayette reflect her belief that an informed public is essential to our state's strength, today and in the future.小蝌蚪APP
Blanco is a UL Lafayette alumna and the only woman elected Louisiana governor. The 小蝌蚪APP announced last year it would honor her pathbreaking 25-year career in public service with the policy center小蝌蚪APP檚 creation.
Barnes小蝌蚪APP appointment as Blanco Center director, and as an associate professor of economics, is pending approval from the 小蝌蚪APP of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, said Dr. Jordan Kellman, dean of the . The college oversees the center in partnership with .
小蝌蚪APP淒r. Barnes has collaborated with a number of federal and state agencies, industry partners and advocacy groups. He has worked with scholars in more than a dozen disciplines. His breadth and depth of knowledge and extensive experience guiding policy research will be invaluable to the Blanco Center小蝌蚪APP檚 development,小蝌蚪APP Kellman said.
小蝌蚪APP淭he 小蝌蚪APP believes the Blanco Center can become Louisiana小蝌蚪APP檚 premier public policy resource. Dr. Barnes小蝌蚪APP leadership will help ensure that.小蝌蚪APP
Barnes is a native of Baton Rouge. He completed an undergraduate degree in economics at LSU, and earned master小蝌蚪APP檚 and doctoral degrees, both in economics, from the 小蝌蚪APP of Texas at Austin.
He joined LSU小蝌蚪APP檚 Department of Economics in 2009. He became the Economics and Policy Research Group小蝌蚪APP檚 associate director the following year, and its director in 2012.
During his tenure at LSU, Barnes helped secure more than $8 million in federal, state and industry grants to examine health care, coastal restoration, career and technical education, and economic development, among other topics.
Blanco said expertise in these issues and others 小蝌蚪APP渕akes Dr. Barnes ideal to guide the public policy center as its founding director.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淭he center小蝌蚪APP檚 mission is to offer a dispassionate, independent voice 小蝌蚪APP rooted in scholarly research 小蝌蚪APP to a host of challenges,小蝌蚪APP including criminal justice reform, economic opportunity, government ethics and education.
小蝌蚪APP淒r. Barnes has shown an ability to navigate various disciplines and numerous policy areas. The Blanco Center小蝌蚪APP檚 interdisciplinary mission and multifaceted focus will benefit from the agility he possesses as a scholar and researcher,小蝌蚪APP the former governor added.
The center will issue policy papers that inform public discussions, and sponsor lectures and symposiums. In addition, it will house Blanco小蝌蚪APP檚 gubernatorial papers. The 90 boxes of material she donated to UL Lafayette include documents that pertain to economic development and higher education, among other issues she championed as governor.
The collection also chronicles her direction of recovery efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the state in August and September 2005.
The papers will be available for research once 小蝌蚪APP archivists process the materials.
A native of Coteau, Louisiana, Blanco graduated from the 小蝌蚪APP of Southwestern Louisiana, now UL Lafayette, in 1964 with a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in business education. Her husband, Raymond, was a coach and longtime administrator at the 小蝌蚪APP.
Kathleen Blanco served two terms each in the state House of Representatives, on the Public Service Commission, and as lieutenant governor. She was governor from 2004 to 2008.
Most of the funding for the $2.7 million Blanco Center will come from private gifts. .
Photo caption: Dr. Stephen Barnes was named director of the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 小蝌蚪APP)