Date: October 23, 2026
Location: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Business
This year’s Great Plains Economics and Business Conference, sponsored by NEBA will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Business. Academic and business professional presenters are welcome to this conference. Graduate and undergraduate students are also encouraged to submit proposals.
Agenda
Room 231
8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Check-in and breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Panel Presentation: State and Local Strategies to Lower Housing Costs
- Ward F. Hoppe, Principal, Hoppe Development
- Nick Dolphens, Senior Vice President, Omaha Operations, The Home Company
- Nate Haugen, President, Metropolitan Omaha Property Owners Association
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Papers – Concurrent Breakout Rooms
Presentations in Room 231, 310 and 111
- Room 231 is on the Second Floor and is the room used for meals and Panel Presentations
- Room 111 is on the First Floor
- Room 310 is on the Second Floor
| Morning Session | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Room 231 | Room 211 | Room 310 |
| 10:00 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. | Fritz L. Laux, PhD – Northeastern State University | Jane Liu, PhD – University of Nebraska at Omaha | Student Presentation, TBD |
| Paper Title: | State-Tribe Reciprocity in Cigarette Taxation as a Strategy to Promote Tobacco Control and Improve Tribal Health | Volatility and Risk Spillovers in Stablecoin and Financial Markets | |
| 10:25 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. | Michael O’Hara, J.D. PhD – Retired, University of Nebraska at Omaha | Pil Joon Kim, PhD – Chadron State University | Student Presentation, TBD |
| Paper Title: | Tax Policy Truths | Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adoption and Shareholder Wealth: Evidence from a Fama–French Five-Factor Event Study | |
| 10:50 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Eric Thompson, PhD – University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Henry Akaeze, PhD – Wayne State College | Student Presentation, TBD |
| Paper Title: | State Incentive Levels and Subsequent Economic Growth | State Incentive Levels and Subsequent Economic Growth |
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Lunch – Buffet located in the Atrium/Dining in Room
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Presentation: “6 Regions, 1 Nebraska” by K.C. Belitz, Former Director, Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Dena R. Beck, Central Regional Navigator, 6 Regions, 1 Nebraska (Room 231)
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Faculty/Student Papers – Concurrent Breakout Rooms
Presentations in Room 231 and Room 111
| Afternoon Session | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Room 231 | Room 111 |
| 1:00 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. | Melissa Trueblood, PhD – Economist, Nebraska Public Power District | Michael O’Hara, J.D. PhD – Retired, University of Nebraska at Omaha |
| Paper Title: | Economic Impact of a New Family in Nebraska | Next of Kin |
| 1:25 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. | Mitch Herian, PhD – Project Director, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Dustin R. White, PhD – University of Nebraska at Omaha (Presenter) Ben O. Smith, PhD – University of Nebraska at Omaha |
| Paper Title: | The Economic Impact of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Programming in Lancaster County, NE | Looking the Part: Appearance and Performance Evaluation in Professional Football |
| 1:50 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. | Eric Thompson, PhD – University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Presenter) Comlanvi Konou, PhD – Alfred University | Dan Cravens, JD, DBA, Augustana University (Presenter) Nikole Layton, MBA, MHA Idaho State University Chris Chatwin, DBA, Idaho State University |
| Paper Title: | A Local Economic Impact of a Farm Boom and Bust | Downtown Revitalization in Bozeman, Montana |
2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Break (Room 231)
Room 231
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Commerce Business Meeting After Presentations
4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Conference Adjourns
Parking
What parking options are available for this event?
Please refer to UNL’s official City Campus Parking Map for available parking near Howard L. Hawks Hall. Nearby garage options include 14th & Avery, 17th & R, 18th & R, and 19th & Vine.
Where can I find the UNL parking maps?
For your parking planning and convenience, printable PDF maps are available at https://parking.unl.edu/maps/parking-maps/#pdf-maps. To access the online interactive map, please visit https://maps.unl.edu/.
What is the closest visitor parking (Pay-on-Exit Garages)?
14th & Avery Garage (Located immediately northwest of Hawks Hall) at 1111 Avery Ave and N 14th Street is 2–3 min. walk to Hawks Hall. 17th & R Garage, located at N 17th Street & R Street, is 6–7 min. walk to Hawks Hall.
Is there metered street parking?
The UNL parking map identifies metered parking (marked as “1” on the map) along streets surrounding Hawks Hall, including 14th Street, Vine Street, and R Street. These spaces are managed by UNL Parking & Transit Services.
