Vera Pavlakovich-Kochi
Adjunct Associate Professor, Geography & Regional Development
Senior Regional Scientist, Ellner College Economic & Business Research Center
Ph.D., 1985, Geography, Kent State University.
M.A., 1976, Geography and Regional Development, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
B.A., 1969, Geography, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Phone: (520) 626-0520
Fax: (520) 621-2150
e-mail: vkp@email.arizona.edu
Economic & Business Research Center
University of Arizona
McClelland Hall, Rm. 103
1130 E. Helen Street
PO Box 210108-0108
Tucson, AZ 85721
Curriculum Vitae
Research
One of my primary research interests is regional economic development in border context with emphasis on the Arizona-Sonora region. I am particularly interested in the role of state and regional actors in transborder region-building and how the concept of region is applied as a framework for action in border context. I have served as principal and co-principal investigator on a number of binational projects prepared for the governments of Arizona and Sonora and the two Commissions, Arizona-Mexico and Sonora-Arizona. One of the most exciting projects was the participation in the Strategic Economic Development Vision for the Arizona-Sonora Region, which identified existing linkages between the two states and formulated recommendations for closer cooperation in economic and non-economic areas. I also developed a set of indicators to measure trends in Arizona and Sonora relative to the entire U.S.-Mexico border region in areas such as exports to NAFTA and global markets, commodity flow and the role of Arizona-Sonora border-ports-of-entry, cross-border interaction and aspects of quality of life. In addition to collaborating with Mexican geographers and economists, I keep in touch with colleagues at several European universities (Utrecht, Berne, Zagreb and Ljubljana) who work on similar issues related to crossborder cooperation and economic integration. Recently I co-edited a book "Challenged Borderlands" (Ashgate, 2004), a collection of papers addressing the transformations in the U.S.-Mexico and SE European borderlands.
My applied research activity in the Economic & Business Research Center also involves industry studies, such as impacts of Mexican fresh produce industry and Sonora's maquiladora sector on the economy of Arizona and the role of the arts in Tucson's economy. Through collaboration with other units on campus I regularly conduct economic impact studies of The University of Arizona, University research activity and The University of Arizona Science and Technology Park.
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