William J. (Joey) Smith
Richards College of Business
Carrollton, GA 30118
wjsmith@westga.edu

Joey's Class Syllabi

Current stuff

West GA Presentation

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Assistant Professor of Economics - Richards College of Business, August 2006 -- Present

Sr. Research Associate – Fiscal Research Center, Georgia State University, 1997 – Present
Specialized in empirical analysis of state tax policies.  Evaluated the revenue impact of various industry-specific tax incentive proposals. Investigated geographic distribution of fiscal capacity, income, and welfare participation.

Graduate Research Assistant - Policy Research Center, Georgia State University, 1993 - 1997.  Specialized in empirical analysis of growth patterns of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.  Developed explanatory models for the changes in Atlanta’s wages and housing prices.  Evaluated pre-Olympic infrastructure projects.  Compared and contrasted various methods for public school finance.  Evaluated Atlanta’s recent occupational and industrial changes within a geographic context.

Consultant - Prepared and presented a 6-month study of wages of Fulton County employees to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

Consultant - Participated in feasibility study of the expansion of Mercer University’s Business School to include a Center for Logistics Studies.

Intern - Department of Planning and Economic Development, City of Atlanta.  Participated in research oriented toward designing optimal repair schedules for Atlanta’s infrastructure projects.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Principles of Macroeconomics and Microeconomics

Guest Lecturer -- Economics Department, Georgia State University.

Advanced Public Finance

Instructor -- Economics Department, State University of West Georgia.

Principles of  Macroeconomics and Microeconomics and Principles of Business Statistics
 

PUBLICATIONS & BOOK CHAPTERS

Peer reviewed:

Shiferaw Gurmu, Keith R. Ihlanfeldt, and William J. Smith (2007) Does Space Matter to the Employment of TANF Recipients? Evidence from a Dynamic Discrete Choice Model with Unobserved Effects, Journal of Urban Economics 63 (1), 325-351 (January 2008).

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith, "Chapter 9: Estimating Welfare Caseloads" in Government Budget Forecasting: Theory and Practice, ed. Jinping Sun and Thomas D. Lynch, Taylor & Francis CRC Press (2008).

David L. Sjoquist, William J. Smith, Mary Beth Walker, Sally Wallace (2007) An Analysis of the Time to Adoption of Local Sales Taxes: A Duration Model Approach Public Budgeting & Finance 27 (1), 20–40.

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith (2006) "Recidivism Among Welfare Recipients: The Role of Neighborhood and Access to Employment" Atlantic Economic Journal, vol. 34, No. 4, December.

Manuscripts and Monographs:

David J. Boldt, Mary M. Kassis, William J. Smith, and Kim Holder, The West Georgia Regional Outlook-2007, Department of Economics, Richards College of Business, University of West Georgia http://www.westga.edu/~econ/booklet_2007.pdf

David L. Sjoquist, William J. Smith, Laura Wheeler, Justin Purkey, Transportation Funding Alternatives: A Preliminary Analysis, Fiscal Research Center Report Number 138 (January 2007).

David J. Boldt, Mary M. Kassis, William J. Smith, The West Georgia Regional Outlook-2006, Department of Economics, Richards College of Business, University of West Georgia http://www.westga.edu/~econ/booklet_2006.pdf

John Matthews, Lakshmi Pandey, William J. Smith, Sally Wallace, The Nature of Economic Development Generated: Neighborhood Characteristics Post-Revitalization. Appendix J: An Evaluation of the Performance and Impact of the Harris Homes Hope VI Revitalization Final Report, Atlanta Housing Authority (September 2006).

William J. Smith and Mary Beth Walker, Revenue Losses from Exemptions of Goods from the Georgia Sales and Use Tax, Fiscal Research Center Report Number 134 (September 2006). http://frc.gsu.edu/frpreports/report134/Rpt134FIN.pdf

Robert Eger III and William J. Smith “The Gasoline Tax in Georgia” FRC Report Series (#126 May 2006).

Shiferaw Gurmu, Keith R. Ihalnfeldt, and William J. Smith, "Does Space Matter to the Employment of TANF Recipients? Evidence from a Dynamic Discrete Choice Model with Unobserved Effects"  University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series (DP2005-05) http://www.ukcpr.org/DiscussionPapers.html in brief http://www.ukcpr.org/Publications/Newsletter-Vol4_1.pdf

Peter Bluestone, John Matthews, David Sjoquist, William J. Smith, Sally Wallace, and Laura Wheeler, "Financing an Increased State Role in funding K-12 Education:  An Analysis of Issues and Options"  FRC Report Series (#114 October 2005)

Cecilie L. Wathne and William J. Smith,  “Geography of Educational Attainment in the Atlanta Region”  AtlantaCensus2000 Report Series http://atlantacensus2000.gsu.edu (2005)

David L. Sjoquist, John W. Matthews and William J. Smith, ."An Initial Evaluation of a Proposed Statewide Education Sales Tax," FRC Report Series (#98 December 2004)

Peter Bluestone, David L. Sjoquist, William J. Smith, and Sally Wallace “Financing Georgia's Future” FRC Report Series (#97 December 2004)

Robert L Collins and William J. Smith “Distribution of Per Capita Income in Georgia: 1969-2000” FRC Report Series (#95 December 2004)

Justin M. Slaughter and William J. Smith  “The Geography of Income in the Atlanta Region” AtlantaCensus2000 Report Series http://atlantacensus2000.gsu.edu (2003)

Steven C. McMullen and William J. Smith “The Geography of Poverty in the Atlanta Region” AtlantaCensus2000 Report Series http://atlantacensus2000.gsu.edu (2003)

William J. Smith “Changes in the Geographic Distribution of County-Level Sales Tax Bases in Georgia” Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2002.

Benjamin Scafidi, William J. Smith and Mary Beth Walker,  “Are Small Urban Centers Magnets for Economic Growth?” Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2001.

David Sjoquist, et al., “Revenue Implications for Georgia of Tax Changes since 1987” Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2001.

William J. Smith, “Estimates of the Effects of Education and Training on Earnings”  Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2001.

Jeanie Thomas and William J. Smith “Economic Development: Report of Statewide Results of Georgia Poll”  Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2000.

William J. Smith, John Matthews and David Sjoquist, “Looking South: Differences Across Space and Time” Atlanta Policy Forum, Report #1, 2000.

Dagney Faulk, Keith R. Ihlanfeldt, David L. Sjoquist, William J. Smith, Jeanie Thomas, and Kathleen Thomas  “An Analysis of Georgia's Economic Development Tax Credit Incentives” Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2000.

David L. Sjoquist, William J. Smith, and Kathleen Thomas  “A Profile of Georgia's Economic Performance and Competitiveness”  Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 2000.

Jeanie Thomas and William J. Smith “Economic Development: Report of Statewide Results of Georgia Poll”  Fiscal Research Program, Report Series, 1999.

William J. Smith, “Trends in Atlanta’s Employment Profile,” Research Atlanta, Inc.  Report Series, 1997.

William J. Smith., “Adjusting State Education Funding for Geographic Cost Differences,” The Urban Study Institute, Inc.  Report Series, 1996.

Thomas L. Weyandt Jr., and William J. Smith.,  “Analysis of the 1994 Bond Referendum Proposal” Research Atlanta, Inc.  Report Series, 1994.
 

SHORT REPORTS, LEGISLATIVE BRIEFS, FISCAL NOTES

William J. Smith, “Exemptions from Sales and Use tax: Solid Fuels Used by Manufacturing Firms” Fiscal Research Program, Policy Brief, 2000.

William J. Smith, “Exemptions from Sales Tax:  Otherwise Qualified Foods Sold through Vending Machines” Legislative Brief for Representative Richard Royal, 2003.

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith, "Forecasting Welfare Case Loads in Georgia"  Quarterly forecasting report for the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith, "Forecasting Medicaid Eligibility in Georgia" Forecasting report for the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

PRESENTATIONS

William J. Smith, “Determination of Wages and Housing Prices for the City of Atlanta: a Simultaneous Approach,”  Presented at the Southern Economic Association Meetings, Washington D.C., 1996.

William J. Smith, “Spatial Determinants of Program Duration for TANF Recipients:  An Analysis of the Atlanta Area” Presented at the Southern Economic Association Meetings, Washington D.C., 2000.

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith, “Spatial Determinants of TANF Recidivism:  The Role of Access to Job Growth” Presented at the Southern Economic Association Meetings, San Antonio, TX., 2003.

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith, “Job Accessibility and Employment in TANF Cases: Panel Data Analysis” Invited Co-Presenters at the National Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference, 2005.

Mary McGarvey, William Smith, and Mary Beth Walker, "Neighborhood and School Crime and School Outcomes," Presented and the Southern Economics Association Meetings (Nov. 2005) and Invited Presentation at The Multi-Disciplinary Mathematical Conference at Auburn University, AL (Dec 2005).

Principal Investigator (2004-2005) Shiferaw Gurmu, Corresponding Author-William J. Smith, Sponsor-University of Kentucky Poverty Research Center, Title-“Spatial Determinants of Employment for AFDC and TANF Caseheads:  the Effects of Neighborhood and Access to Employment Growth” Description:  This grant for $24,000 was used to prepare a report detailing the effects of job access, neighborhood characteristics and childcare availability on the employment of Georgia’s welfare population.  See http://www.ukcpr.org/DiscussionPapers.html in brief http://www.ukcpr.org/Publications/Newsletter-Vol4_1.pdf

WORK IN PROGRESS

John W. Matthews and William J. Smith “Neighborhood Structure and Incidence of Crime in the City of Atlanta” in progress

William J. Smith, Shiferaw Gurmu, and Keith Ihlanfeldt, “Spatial Determinants of Employment for AFDC and TANF Caseheads:  the Effects of Neighborhood and Access to Employment Growth” (UNDER REVIEW)

Shiferaw Gurmu and William J. Smith, “Determinants of TANF Caseloads in Georgia” (ONGOING)

Mary Kassis and William J. Smith, "Sports Travel and Educational Outcomes"

William J. Smith, David Boldt, and Hilde Patron, "Excel as a Pedagogical Tool in Explaining the Central Limit Theorem: Applications in Business Statistics."

Adrian Austin and William J. Smith, "Neighborhood Crime and Post Secondary Persistence: Evidence from Georgia"

Mary McGarvey, William Smith, and Mary Beth Walker, "Neighborhood and School Crime and School Outcomes," presented at the Southern Economics Association Meetings, Fall 2005.

HONORS

1998: George J. Malanos Economic Doctoral Award, Georgia State University.  (Awarded to the doctoral student who best exemplifies the commitment to the exchange of ideas and the creation of a community of scholars.)

1993: Outstanding Honors Senior, University of West Georgia.

1991: Tom Herndon Award for Economics, University of West Georgia.  Gordon Watson Award for Philosophy, University of West Georgia.  Outstanding Honors Senior, University of West Georgia, Outstanding Honors Freshman, University of West Georgia.

SERVICE

2001-Present: Member of the Georgia Rural Development Council Technical Advisory Committee

2000-Present: Member of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Technology Committee

2000-2001: Volunteer for the Carroll County Parks and Recreation Department

1998-Present: Volunteer for the Carrollton City Parks and Recreation Department

COMPUTER SKILLS

I have broad experience using and providing technical support for a variety of operating systems and office productivity software packages.  I also have experience administering Windows, unix, and Linux-based servers.  I have a good working knowledge of web-based programming languages such as PHP and Perl and have used these in conjunction with a variety database programs to create web-based data applications, which have been used to centralize data collection for projects ranging from web-based surveys to office data processing.  On a daily basis I use and provide technical support for a variety of statistical packages (SAS, Limdep, STATA, Matlab) for both data manipulation and statistical estimation.  I am also experienced and proficient at using geographical information systems (GIS) such as those from ESRI (Arcview, Arcinfo and ArcIMS) and Maptitude to display, manipulate, construct, and geo-code geographic data.

PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH INTERESTS