From reading groups and guest speakers, to professional development for educators and media mentions by the White House, ACRE has had another successful semester of economics, education, and policy research. We hope you’ve been able to come to one of our events on campus, or read some of our many materials online.

Distinguished Speaker Series & Colloquium

Michael Munger (right) with Jeremy Horpedahl

Our final guest speaker for the Fall 2023 semester was Michael Munger from Duke University, who gave a public talk on “Monopoly Power, Political Power, and the Problem of Platforms,” and also joined UCA students in several classes. Munger followed two other speakers this semester: Emily Hamilton from the Mercatus Center, who spoke about housing policy and affordability; and David Bernstein from George Mason University Law School, who spoke about the history of racial classification in the United States. Professor Bernstein was also the keynote speaker for and a participant in our annual ACRE Colloquium, which brought students and professors from across Arkansas together for a weekend to discuss the ideas in Bernstein’s book.

Fall Reading Groups

Students in Dr. Jacob Held’s “Landmark Supreme Court” reading group

Our reading groups set an ACRE record this semester! More students applied than ever before, resulting in a wait-list to participate. One of those groups visited Southern Methodist University in October for a weekend discussion event with students at other universities, and keynote speaker Dr. Bart Wilson from Chapman University. Our Spring 2024 reading groups will be announced soon, and we look forward to having another good response from UCA students.

K-12 Programs

ACRE’s K12 program has hosted a number of professional development opportunities for educators across Arkansas. This past month’s engaging topics included: “Economic Mysteries in Economic History: What was Roaring about the Twenties?” and “The 2023 Economics Nobel Prize: Claudia Goldin, Women, & Work.”  Looking ahead, the ACRE educator reading group will continue this spring. For a full list of K12 offerings, to sign up for the K12 newsletter, or request a classroom visit this spring, go to

Government Transparency in Arkansas

AFOIA in the State Constitution:

Lately in Arkansas there has been a lot of discussion about government transparency, both during the Special Session of the Arkansas General Assembly in September and in the aftermath of the legislative session, from which a citizen initiative emerged proposing the incorporation of Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act (AFOIA) into the state constitution. ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Joyce Ajayi has continued tracking these developments and offering her expertise to help support the public debate on the issue. In November, she participated as a panelist at a town hall meeting on this topic in Conway and also authored an op-ed, “,” published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. In the piece, she elaborates on the consequences and implications of incorporating AFOIA into the state constitution, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of both advantages and drawbacks.

Looking ahead, Joyce, along with a team of researchers across Arkansas, is co-authoring the Arkansas Civic Health Index. This publication will offer a comprehensive analysis of Arkansas’s civic health, including aspects like web transparency. The report, set to be released in December, will provide insights into the civic and political engagement landscape in Arkansas, showcasing strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities.

Media

As part of my role as Director at ACRE and a UCA professor, I regularly appear in the media and write popular essays about economics. A few of those outreach activities stood out as especially interesting and important this semester.

• I once again appeared on PBS’s Arkansas Week program and how that relates to public policy, such as the state budget.
• The Charles Koch Foundation featured an essay I wrote explaining . That essay summarizes a lot of the principles we use to think about fiscal policy at ACRE in our research and educational outreach.
• Lastly, a somewhat light-hearted blog post that I wrote about the cost of a , surprised me by getting picked up by a lot of media sources, as well as the a claim the White House made. I was not expecting that, but I am glad that someone is reading my work!

New Employees

ACRE is set to accomplish even more in the coming year with the addition of two outstanding individuals to our team. Elise Ormonde and Heidi Saliba each bring unique skillsets and perspectives to ACRE’s research and outreach. We are fortunate to welcome them, and you can read more about both here.

All of us at ACRE hope that you have a wonderful last few weeks of 2023, and we look forward to sharing more about all of our events, research, and student programs in 2024.

The Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) welcomes Heidi Saliba and Elise Ormonde as two new, dynamic team members. These gifted people offer a multitude of expertise, a variety of skill sets, and a common enthusiasm for improving not only Arkansas’s economic climate but the lives of all individuals who reside here as well.

Heidi Saliba: A Multidisciplinary Asset

Saliba comes to ACRE with a multifaceted background and is set to focus on occupational licensing and property rights. Her current projects include collaborating with Dr. Rania al-Bawwab to explore the economic implications of free speech violations, working with Dr. Mavuto Kalulu and Dr. al-Bawwab to learn about perceptions of corruption in the US and South Africa, and examining the role of risk management in occupational licensing projects with a team that includes Dr. Thomas Snyder and UCA honors student Perla Zapata.

Economic transparency is important to Saliba. “I think it’s important to make scholarly work available to everyone,” she says. “This dedication of ACRE is in line with my objective to offer suggestions that minimize obstacles for individuals and safeguard their Constitutional rights.”

Saliba’s unique contribution to the team lies in her diverse experiences, ranging from healthcare research and administration to journalism and web design. She is drawn to ACRE’s commitment to making scholarly work accessible to all Arkansans.

She is also working with Elise Ormonde on a spring event for the College of Business, celebrating research and recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of UCA’s students.

Speaking about her philosophy, Saliba remarked, “Integrity and truthfulness are at the core of my work. I place value on bringing out the strengths and talents of others and learning about the intersections of culture and society.”

Elise Ormonde: Bridging Gaps in Education and Economics

Ormonde joined ACRE at the beginning of September. A 2022 graduate of Hendrix College, she brings a background in economics and psychology. Ormonde’s research focuses on K-12 education, emphasizing transparency in COVID funding for education and exploring health economics.

Ormonde views herself as a connection between students and instructors, encouraging student participation in academic programs. She is very passionate about student involvement in order to enhance educational experiences and set students up for success post-graduation. Elise is in a unique position to work on student programming because she is a recent graduate, making her well-informed about the preferences and needs of students.

Her decision to work at ACRE was fueled by an appreciation of ACRE’s narrowed focus on Arkansas. Ormonde explains, “I’m excited to be part of an Arkansas-based research center like ACRE, addressing specific challenges in healthcare and education with a non-partisan, research-based approach.”

Ormonde believes ACRE improves Arkansans’ lives by contributing valuable economic research, connecting people with academic resources, and bringing people together within the community. She actively engages in student programs, running an economic reading group, mentoring student fellows on research projects and helping to develop a Women in Economics program on UCA campus.

Ormonde participates in a number of student-focused initiatives, demonstrating her dedication to helping create a more robust economic community in Arkansas.

As ACRE continues to grow, the addition of Heidi Saliba and Elise Ormonde further strengthens its commitment to impactful, community-driven economic research. Their unique skills and dedication to ACRE’s mission promise a future of continued success for the research center. Read more about ACRE’s team members here.