Center for the Study of Free Enterprise
Dedicated to providing economics research and education to the students, faculty, and community of Western Carolina University. Our WorkCovid-19 Research
Evidence-based policy, impact analyses, and bottom-up solutions for post-Covid recovery.
Faculty Affiliates
Faculty from across campus working on issues important in their disciplines and to the communities in our region.
For the Community
Integrating the work of faculty and students with needs in the community where they are greatest.
Director’s Blog
Thoughts from our Founding Director, Dr. Edward Lopez, and invited contributors.
Meet Stephen Miller
Last year, we began our spotlight series on our 2020-21 Faculty Affiliates, and continuing with this series, today we would like to highlight Dr. Stephen Miller. Stephen is the Adams Bibby Chair of Free Enterprise in the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy...
Meet David McCord
In 2020, we began our spotlight series on our 2020-21 Faculty Affiliates, and continuing with this series, we would like to highlight Dr. David McCord. David is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at WCU, with research interests focused on personality theory and the...
Meet Turner Goins
To continue with our highlights of our 2020-21 Faculty Affiliates, today we are putting Dr. R. Turner Goins in the spotlight. Turner is the Ambassador Jeanette Hyde Distinguished Professor in the Department of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Sciences at...
COVID-19 Prevalence and Empty College Seats
A year ago, many prospective 2020 high school graduates were finalizing their decisions on whether and where to attend college. The 2019-2020 application and acceptance process was much the same as it had been over the last twenty years. Most selective schools still...
Meet Angela Dills
To continue with our highlights of our 2020-21 Faculty Affiliates, today we are putting Dr. Angela Dills in the spotlight. Angela is the Gimelstob-Landry Distinguished Professor of Regional Economic Development and Professor of Economics at WCU. Angela received a B.A....
CSFE’s new study on Paramedics and the Pandemic
EMT's and paramedics have taken on profoundly new and different roles since the pandemic. Unlike singular and localized events, COVID-19 presented new challenges to Emergency Medical Services professionals. In response, these EMS professionals have upgraded their...
What’s New
CSFE’s new study on Paramedics and the Pandemic
EMT's and paramedics have taken on profoundly new and different roles since the pandemic. Unlike singular and localized events, COVID-19 presented new challenges to Emergency Medical Services...
North Carolina’s Prospects for COVID-19 Economic Recovery: A Top-Down and Bottom-Up Assessment
North Carolina’s Prospects for COVID-19 Economic Recovery: Top-down and Bottom-up Assessments Emma Blair Fedison and Edward J. Lopez Click the Button Below to Download a PDF Version of this Issue...
Advisory Board meeting set for Wednesday December 09
CSFE's Advisory Board will hold its Fall 2020 meeting virtually on December 9, 2:00-3:30 p.m. As a university center in the UNC System, CSFE is governed by University of North Carolina Policy...
Meet Jackson Déziel
Earlier this week CSFE announced our 2020-21 Faculty Affiliates, all of whom we are very excited about working with during this coming year. Today, we want to highlight one of our affiliates,...