Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research - UT

08/05/2026

How affordable is college? Is it worth it? Boyd Center professor Mike Kofoed's research challenges the narrative that college doesn’t hold the value it once did.

“Public universities are becoming more affordable, and having that college degree means you will be less likely to be unemployed and more likely to have higher wages,” he says.

Hear more from him and associate director Celeste Carruthers on the economics of education:

Experts weigh in on college affordability and the role of technology.

07/27/2026

The Boyd Center's Erin Hatfield recently reached an incredible milestone, completing every trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and joining the 900 Miler Club. Along the way, she was supported by family, friends and colleagues, including Boyd Center Director Don Bruce and Assistant Director Kira Rasmussen, who helped celebrate the accomplishment at the finish.

Read Erin's story: https://our.tennessee.edu/2026/ut-great-smoky-mountains-900-miler-club/

07/16/2026

Fifteen years after joining the Boyd Center, Celeste Carruthers is taking on a leadership role as the center's new Associate Director.

“Since her arrival in the Boyd Center, Celeste has built a well-deserved reputation as a thought leader in higher education policy and economics,” Boyd Center Director Don Bruce said. “She is a world-class researcher, and now we are truly fortunate that she has agreed to lend her organizational and leadership skills in this expanded role.”

Read more: https://haslam.utk.edu/featured/spotlight/boyd-centers-celeste-carruthers-promoted-to-associate-director/

06/29/2026

What happens when gas prices go up? The money a city needs to pave roads goes up, too.

“It’s a direct input to things like paving for sure. These markets are heavily influenced by oil prices, and that’s been the story of the economy in 2026 so far,” Boyd Center Director Don Bruce said. “Literally everything that we use that we purchase, everything that anybody does for an income, is highly dependent on oil, whether they like to believe it or not.”

Read more from WATE 6 On Your Side:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knoxville City Council approved a proposed Capital Improvements Budget for the 2026-2027 year on Tuesday. It sets aside over $40 million for infrastructure projects, i…

06/23/2026

Are you an innovator or entrepreneur? Do you want to share what it takes to create new products, services, and technologies? We invite you to join the Tennessee Longitudinal Survey of Ideas: tiny.utk.edu/TLSI-1

Questions about the research study? Email Celeste K. Carruthers, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, at [email protected].

06/01/2026

“When we see numbers that we don’t like, it’s a natural reaction to say, ‘Well, that can’t be right,’ " the Boyd Center's Matt Harris said. That’s what we understood was happening in policy conversations surrounding the data around adverse outcomes for fi****ms, and we realized that, as a Tennessean and nonpartisan research center, we were in a position to help.”

05/27/2026

“I’m proud of the work that Celeste and Mike have done to establish themselves as respected thought leaders in education policy,” Boyd Center Director Don Bruce said. “These editorships reflect the trust that their peers have in them. As a result of their dedication and the strong support of Randy and Jenny Boyd, the Boyd Center has become one of the country’s top resources for education research at a time when that research is critically important.”

Celeste Carruthers is the editor-in-chief at the Economics of Education Review, while Mike Kofoed is a co-editor for the Education Finance and Policy.

05/19/2026

At the 2026 Haslam College of Business - UT Awards Reception last week, Boyd Center Assistant Director Kira Rasmussen won the Staff Award for Innovation and Creativity, and our Graduate Research Assistant Lucas Chaves Gurgel was a finalist for the Outstanding Doctoral Student Teacher Award! Congratulations to both of them on their outstanding work!!

05/14/2026

Thomas Verville has worked in the Boyd Center for two years, and his research focuses on the impacts of Million Dollar Plants and outcomes of the subsidy auction process. He also studies game theory and focuses on evaluating the impacts on small businesses and employment. He's graduating with a Ph.D. in Economics from the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville! UT Knoxville Alumni

05/14/2026

Lucas Gurgel has worked in the Boyd Center for three years, and his research focuses on labor and public economics, with particular attention to the intersection of education and health outcomes. He's graduating with a Ph.D. in Economics from the Haslam College of Business - UT at teh University of Tennessee, Knoxville! UT Knoxville Alumni