Bozeman Magazine

Montana State University’s annual Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series continues Tuesday, April 16, with a presentation by George Haynes, an economist in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics.

All lectures in the series begin at 7 p.m. in the Museum of the Rockies’ Hager Auditorium and are followed by a reception. The series is free and open to the public.

Haynes, who is also part of the MSU Extension faculty, will give a lecture titled “Small Business: Transparency, Separation and Innovation,” which will highlight takeaways from his research and outreach focused on small business owners from subsistence farmers in Egypt to agricultural producers and childcare providers in Montana. The talk will explore the ways a lack of transparency impacts participation in economic development and can hinder business owners’ relationships with financial lenders.

Through his research, Haynes has seen that small business owners often manage business resources and household resources without a clear boundary between the two, which can create confusion and conflict. He has also explored the important role small businesses play in bridging the gap between research and innovation and will discuss that work in his lecture.

“In general, I have been attracted to research opportunities where I had the opportunity to advocate for well-being of some population,” said Haynes. “I’ve always believed that fulfilling the land-grant mission required addressing important issues with my research and proposing some reasonable innovations or solutions.”

Haynes was raised in Judith Gap and was involved in 4-H in his youth. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana and completing his master’s in agricultural economics at MSU, he was a partner at an economic consulting company and owned a computer store in Bozeman for 12 years. He then completed a doctorate in Consumer Economics and Housing at Cornell University. He said his experience as a business owner guided his deep interest in research into the economics of business and innovation. He joined the MSU faculty in 1992.

At MSU, his research has explored the financial challenges faced by small business owners, disaster assistance aimed at those businesses and other programs designed to aid them, including childcare subsidies and lending practices. He has worked on youth development projects in Botswana and conducted research in Egypt, gaining broad exposure to economic development around the world.

“In general, my research, instruction and outreach has been an opportunity to increase the happiness of small business owners and their families by helping them address their challenges and opportunities, tell their story and gain the respect they deserve,” said Haynes. “In short, this will be a lecture on transparency, separation, innovation and respect.”

Haynes’ many years of research have yielded extensive results. He has overseen more than $4 million in grant funding and has written more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 100 other reviewed publications, as well as seven book chapters. Being involved with MSU Extension has also given him the capacity to ensure further application of the knowledge he generates.

“Extension economics was an ideal place for me because the completion of any research effort is always followed by ‘what’s next,’” Haynes said. “How do I move from the research to the innovation and make this research valuable to someone in Montana?”

He said he hopes that his lecture can provide approachable insight into the economics of small businesses and the role academic research can play in ensuring equitable treatment for underserved groups. In addition to his research and outreach activities, Haynes has also served as faculty-athletics representative for more than a decade – a position designed to prioritize and support the well-being of MSU student-athletes. After more than 30 years as a faculty member, he said that being a part of the MSU community has been one of the best decisions of his life.

“I’ve been a Bobcat forever because my grandfather and father attended MSU,” he said. “I’ve mostly appreciated my incredible faculty colleagues, who took the time to answer my theoretical and empirical questions, and the opportunity to grow professionally by collaborating with faculty, administration and staff across campus.”

The Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series recognizes outstanding MSU faculty for their creative scholarship and leadership. More information and the full lineup for the 2023-24 Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series can be found athttps://www.montana.edu/news/23112.