Meet Our Team

Monica Haynes, Director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research and Adjunct Professor of Economics

Monica is also chair of the Labovitz School's Outreach Committee and on the Duluth Workforce Development Board. She has a Master of Science in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. In her spare time, she enjoys running, biking, cooking, and reading.

Gina Chiodi Grensing, Editor/Writer

For over 12 years, Gina has been the editor/writer for the BBER as well as the Labovitz School. She ensures that highly technical information is conveyed in relatable content for the bureau. For LSBE, she writes branded content for the school’s many mediums. She also edits faculty’s research manuscripts. Along with her UMD degree (Go Bulldogs!), Gina holds a certificate in editing. She is a nationally published content creator who finds grammar and punctuation fun.

UMD students employed at the BBER gain hands-on, real-world experience working on bureau projects. Given the significant amount of assistance that they provide on each project, their names are listed as authors on final reports. 

Mahad Ahmed (2023-2024) 
Mahad is a senior majoring in Political Science with a minor in Economics. He enjoys being outside with his favorite activities being hiking, snowboarding, and going on runs. He plans to attend graduate school to put the skills he learned as a UGRA to use there and in his future career.

Mitchell Bakken (2023-2024) 
Mitchell is a senior Finance major who is looking at attaining an MBA. He enjoys winter and summer activities such as snowboarding, skateboarding, and baseball. "Despite not being an Economics major," he said, "the skills I  learn in the UGRA position will help me in a finance-related career because working on projects, doing data analysis, and writing reports are things I almost certainly will be doing in the future." 

Avery Wendinger (2023-2024)
Avery is a senior pursuing a double major in History and Economics. He enjoys “learning about new topics and about the external factors that affect things he enjoys, such as the economics and regulations pertaining to the outdoors industry.” Some of Avery’s favorite outdoor activities are “fishing, hiking, and enjoying a nice bonfire.” He hopes to attend graduate school and feels his UGRA position will enhance his research skills for use in school and his career.  

The following LSBE faculty members, who have engaged in significant research partnerships with the BBER, have been designated Faculty Research Affiliates.

Kim Nichols Dauner, associate professor of Health Care and co-director of the Health Care Management Program, earned her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. Her research interests include evaluation of community and workplace wellness programs, health care access and the impact of health care policy, social capital and social determinants of health. She has partnered with the BBER on The Assessment of Age-Friendly Workplaces in Duluth.

Lacey Loomer, assistant professor of Health Care Management, earned her Ph.D. from Brown University in Health Services Research with a concentration in Health Economics.  Her research interests include long-term care, services and supports; rural health; and Medicare payment policy. She has partnered with the BBER on The Assessment of Age-Friendly Workplaces in Duluth.

Chris McIntosh, associate professor of Economics, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming. His research interests are experimental economics along with industrial organization, environmental and natural resource economics. He has partnered with the BBER on Investigating the Potential for Distributed Solar Energy Production on Commercial Properties in the Greater Duluth, Minnesota, Area.

Neil A. Wilmot, associate professor of Economics and head of the Economics and Health Care Management department, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming. His research interests are energy economics, stochastic processes, and applied econometrics. He has partnered with the BBER on Investigating the Potential for Distributed Solar Energy Production on Commercial Properties in the Greater Duluth, Minnesota, Area.

Lin Xiu, professor of Human Resource Management, earned her Ph.D. in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto. Her research interests include strategic HRM, diversity issues in the workplace and employment relations, compensation, and negotiation. She has partnered with the BBER on The Assessment of Age-Friendly Workplaces in Duluth.