Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research - UT

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].

“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.”

Two UT Boyd Center Faculty Leading Top Economics of Education Journals - Haslam College of Business 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.

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!!

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

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

Linnea Endersby has worked in the Boyd Center for five years, and her research focuses on applied microeconomics, particularly health economics and the economics of education. She's graduating with a Ph.D. in Economics from the Haslam College of Business - UT at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville! UT Knoxville Alumni

Three of the Boyd Center's Graduate Research Assistants become University of Tennessee, Knoxville today! Linnea Endersby, Lucas Gurgel, and Thomas Verville are graduating from the Haslam College of Business with a Ph.D. in Economics. A huge congratulations to all three!! UT Knoxville Alumni

The Boyd Center's Kira Rasmussen received an award at last night's Chancellor’s Honors Banquet for her extraordinary customer service!

Per the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, "Recipients of the Citation for Extraordinary Customer Service are those who, through their actions, bring honor to the university. These are people who excel in their jobs and in their working relationships."

We knew that description fits our Boyd Center Assistant Director to a T, and we're glad to see her hard work recognized! Congratulations, Kira!

The Boyd Center (BCBER) team signed the beam for the new business building's topping off ceremony on Friday! It celebrated the placement of the final structural beam at the building's highest point. We're excited to see our center's new home taking shape: https://news.utk.edu/2026/04/17/ut-celebrates-new-business-building-naming-topping-off-ceremony/