CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., March 25, 2008 -- Southeast Missouri's economy will be the topic of a research conference scheduled for April 11 on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

Economic developers, government officials and anyone interested in the southeast Missouri economy are invited to the free conference scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall.

The program will feature Dr. William Weber, professor of economics, who will present "Local Tax Revenues and the Volatility of the Tax Base" and "Efficiency and Scale Economies in Missouri Counties." Dr. Bruce Domazlicky, director of the Center for Economic and Business Research, will speak on "Should We Trade Away the Southeast Missouri Worker?" Dr. Diane Primont, associate director of the Center for Economic and Business Research, will present "Some Impacts of Industry Clusters in Missouri." Dr. Michael Devaney, professor of finance, will speak on "Deregulation and Rural Banking in Southeast Missouri." Dr. Kang Hoon Park, professor of economics, will discuss "Educational Attainment and Income Inequality in Southeast Missouri."

The research conference is made possible, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of Economics and Finance and the Center for Economic and Business Research.

For more information, call (573) 651-2013 or e-mail cebr@semo.edu.