2024 WRSA Final Meeting Program

The 2022 WRSA Meeting draft program is now available.

Please click here for the FINAL program of the 63rd Annual Meeting of WRSA.

If you have not yet made a hotel reservation, you still have a chance!
The room reservation can be made via this link or you can make a reservation by calling 831-372-1234 and asking for the Western Regional Science Association 2024 group rate (Group code: G-WR24).  

If you have any specific questions or requests about paper submission, please contact me via email (wrsa@unlv.edu).

We look forward to seeing you soon in Monterey, California!

WRSA 2024 Annual Meeting

For our 63rd meeting in 2024, we’re heading to Monterey, CA (returning to one of our member’s most beloved spots !! It is our 8th meeting in Monterey!).

Our meeting dates are February 11-14, 2024, with the opening plenary and reception scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday (Feb. 11), followed by three full days of sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Feb 12-14).

Only full papers (draft format acceptable) will be accepted for this conference. All submissions will be reviewed and will be assigned to a discussant on the program.

All presenters are expected to discuss a paper and/or chair a session.

Our meeting hotel is Hyatt Regency Monterey, one of our members’ most beloved meeting spots in California. Nestled in the Monterey pines on 22 secluded acres and minutes from the scenic wonders of the Central Coast, Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course inspires wonder and discovery. Indulge in unique experiences along the iconic Monterey Peninsula, surrounded by rugged, natural beauty and endless adventures. Our negotiated daily room rate is $229 plus applicable taxes and no resort fee (waived the $33 for our group). Compare our discounted rate to the regular daily room rate of $599 plus applicable taxes and a $33 resort fee. See the “Hotel Information” link to the left for the reservation instruction.

Full meeting information will be available in the upcoming Newsletter (be sure to renew your membership in order to receive it!) and on our website. Check back in the weeks to come!

The deadline for submission of full papers (draft version acceptable) is extended to November 30, 2023! This also applies to the Tiebout Prize Paper Competition submission (The hard deadline for the Tiebout Competition is October 15, 2023).

Martina Pardy won the 37th Charles M. Tiebout Prize in Regional Science

The 37th Tiebout Prize was awarded to Martina Pardy, a Ph.D. student from the London School of Economics & Political Science in the UK. Congratulations to Martina Pardy! Martina’s winning paper was titled, “Multinationals and intra-regional innovation concentration.”

The Tiebout Reading Committee, comprised of past WRSA Presidents, is charged each year with evaluating a large pool of submissions.  This year’s committee included: Matthias Ruth from the University of York, Genevieve Giuliano from the University of Southern California, Janet Kohlhase from the University of Houston, and Rick Church from the University of California, Santa Barbara,

This year the Tiebout Prize Reading Committee also selected a paper as finalist.  This was Benjamin Cornejo Costas from Utretcht University of the Netherlands with a co-author, Andrea Morrison for their paper “The 1921-1924 immigration act and its unintended consequences on breakthrough innovations in the US.”

The Tiebout Prize is given in memory of Charles Tiebout and his contributions to regional science, especially his mentoring of graduate students.

You can be the next winner!!
Submit your paper for the 38th Annual Competition for The Tiebout Prize which will be awarded for the best paper by a full-time graduate student enrolled at an accredited academic institution (currently or having completed studies during Academic Year 2022–2023). For more details about Tiebout Prize, please click here!

Ready for WRSA 2023 Annual Meeting??

Our 62nd Annual Meeting in 2023 is just 10 days away!!
We’re heading to Big Island, HI (returning to one of our member’s most beloved spots !! It is our 5th meeting in Big Island!!).

Our meeting dates are February 15-18, 2023, with the opening plenary and reception scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday (Feb. 15), followed by three full days of sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Feb 16-18).

Please find our “FINAL PROGRAM” HERE!

Please review this revised (final) program very carefully since it reflects a few minor changes based on last-minute requests.

In the “Index to Participants” section on pages 24 through 27, you can locate your paper presentation session and other assigned duties (chair and/or discussant roles).

Discussants should prepare about 5–10 minutes of remarks, allowing at least 10 minutes for questions from, and open discussion with, session attendees.

WRSA Program Committee sent out the assigned papers to all the discussants and notified the chairs about the assigned chair role on Feb 1st, 2023. If you have not yet received the assigned paper(s) for your discussant role, please email us (wrsa@unlv.edu), immediately.

Our meeting hotel is Hilton Waikoloa Village in Big Island, HI, one of our members’ most beloved meeting spots. Located on the sunny, scenic Kohala Coast, the oceanfront resort offers a taste of the island life full of culture, poolside relaxation, and a chance to meet marine wildlife up close. At Hilton Waikoloa Village, you can enjoy the magic of Hawaii, an oasis dotted with lagoons, pools, water slides, and a wide variety of restaurants and bars.
With a $15 daily resort fee (reduced from $45 for our group), you can enjoy the perks listed below,

  • Internet access in your room (Not in meeting rooms)
  • Hawaiian Cultural Classes—Including Ukulele, Lei Making, and Hula Lessons
  • PlayStation® 3 access with unlimited movies and games (DVD Now card can only be used in your specified tower)–Limit 2 checked out at any given time
  • Local, toll-free, and credit card calls (No access fee)
  • Complimentary 15-minute photo session and souvenir keepsake
  • 20% discount on beach toys at the saltwater lagoon
  • Keiki Pool Activities & Scavenger Hunt—The schedule listed on the back of our resort activities guide
  • Fitness or Yoga Class at the Kohala Spa—Space is limited and reservations are recommended by contacting Kohala Spa at extension 1228.
  • Big Island Bird Talk with resident wildlife specialist—Daily at 10 am in the main lobby. The talk will last approximately 30 minutes. Reservations are not required and guests can drop by at anytime
  • $10 off Hawaii Nautical sailings on the Spirit of Aloha catamaran from Anaeho’omalu Bay

Looking forward to seeing all of you in Waikoloa, the Big Island of HI, soon!!

2022 Testimonials from the First-time Participants

The testimonials from the first-time participants in the 61st Annual Meeting of WRSA, held in Scottsdale, AZ (Feb 17-20, 2022) are on the WRSA’s YouTube Channel. Simply click the image above or find it on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopqNIV_8RB8xEl_ehGWqag).
WRSA is perfect for graduate students and early-career scholars since it is “really welcoming, small enough that you can meet as many people as you want, and big enough that you can get a lot of good feedback on your research!”

Looking forward to seeing many new participants, returning members, and colleagues in the upcoming 62nd Annual Meeting in the Big Island of Hawaii (Feb 18-20, 2023)!! The paper submission due is Nov 30th, 2022. Find more from our website, https://www.wrsaonline.org/…/wrsa-2023-our-62nd…/

Stough-Johansson-Springer Prize goes to Nicholas Irwin & David Wolf!!

      Each year a prize is given at the annual meeting for the best paper presented at the conference by an early-career scholar (Ph.D. completed within the past five years).  This year’s winners were Nicholas Irwin from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas & David Wolf from Kobe University for their co-authored paper “Is it really bridging the gap? Fiber internet`s impact on housing values and homebuyer demographics.”

Be the next winner!!
The Stough-Johansson-Springer Prize is supported by the publisher of our official journal, the Annals of Regional Science, and qualified papers are judged by a team of editors.  The prize consists of a certificate and a book voucher for $500. To be considered for next year’s prize, simply check the “Stough-Johansson-Springer Prize” box at the time of paper submission for the 2023 Big Island meeting.

Austin Landini won the 36th Charles M. Tiebout Prize in Regional Science

The 36th Tiebout Prize was awarded to Austin Landini (co-advisors: Anita Pena and Stephen Weiler), a doctoral student from Colorado State University. Congratulations to Austin Landini! Austin’s winning paper was titled, “Addressing Endogeneity in the Relationship between Local Race Composition and Public Expenditure.”

The Tiebout Reading Committee, comprised of past WRSA Presidents, is charged each year with evaluating a large pool of submissions.  This year’s committee included: Alan Murray from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Matthias Ruth from the University of York, Genevieve Giuliano from the University of Southern California, and Janet Kohlhase from the University of Houston.

This year the Tiebout Prize Reading Committee also selected a paper as an honorable mention for the prize.  This was Adam Scavette (advisor: Michael Lahr) from Rutgers University with a co-author, Robert Calvert Jump (University of Greenwich) for their paper “Do Neighborhood Renewal Funds Improve Local Labor Market Outcomes? Evidence from England.”

The Tiebout Prize is given in memory of Charles Tiebout and his contributions to regional science, especially his mentoring of graduate students.

You can be the next winner!!
Submit your paper for the 37th Annual Competition for The Tiebout Prize which will be awarded for the best paper by a full-time graduate student enrolled at an accredited academic institution (currently or having completed studies during Academic Year 2021–2022). For more details about Tiebout Prize, please click here!

WRSA 2023 Annual Meeting

For our 62nd meeting in 2023, we’re heading to Big Island, HI (returning to one of our member’s most beloved spots !! It is our 5th meeting in Big Island!!).

Our meeting dates are February 15-18, 2023, with the opening plenary and reception scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday (Feb. 15), followed by three full days of sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Feb 16-18).

Only full papers (draft format acceptable) will be accepted for this conference. All submissions will be reviewed and will be assigned a discussant on the program.

All presenters are expected to discuss a paper and/or chair a session.

Our meeting hotel is Hilton Waikoloa Village in Big Island, HI, one of our members’ most beloved meeting spots. Located on the sunny, scenic Kohala Coast, the oceanfront resort offers a taste of the island life full of culture, poolside relaxation, and a chance to meet marine wildlife up close. At Hilton Waikoloa Village, you can enjoy the magic of Hawaii, an oasis dotted with lagoons, pools, water slides, and a wide variety of restaurants and bars. Our negotiated daily room rate is $239 plus applicable taxes and a $15 resort fee (reduced from $45 for our group). Compare our discounted rate to the regular daily room rate of $585 plus applicable taxes and a $45 resort fee. See the “Hotel Information” link to the left for the reservation instruction.

Full meeting information will be available in the upcoming Newsletter (be sure to renew your membership in order to receive it!) and on our website. Check back in the weeks to come!

The deadline for submission of full papers (draft version acceptable) is now extended to November 30, 2022! This does not apply to the Tiebout Prize Paper Competition submission (The hard deadline for Tiebout Competition is October 15, 2022).