Indiana State University Newsroom

People can learn more about the Wabash Valley's global economic impact and how international business affects local residents during an upcoming panel discussion at Indiana State University.

Indiana State's Center for Global Engagement and the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp. will co-host "Global Business Engagement in the Wabash Valley" on April 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State. The panel discussion will feature John Conant, chair of the department of economics at ISU; Steve Witt, president of the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp.; Roberto Bohrer, operations director for Comphania Siderurgica Nacional (CSN), a Brazilian-based steel company with a facility in the Vigo County Industrial Park; and Chuck Nichols, plant manager for DuPont in Terre Haute. Chris McGrew, director of the Center for Global Engagement, will moderate the panel discussion.

The event is part of Indiana State's Community Semester series, which has a theme of "Our Town" and is a way for the College of Arts and Sciences to showcase what it does best. Community Semester events encourage faculty and students to share what they are learning to the community while bringing innovative ideas in the sciences, humanities and liberal and creative arts to the area.

"We're really trying to bring multiple voices and unique voices on this so-called catchphrase of ‘globalization.' What does that really mean?" said Jeremy Bennett, graduate assistant for the Center for Global Engagement and a Terre Haute resident who is pursuing his doctorate in spatial and earth sciences. "... We really want to bring these holistic voices to this topic of how the local economy is impacted by and fits in with the global economy."Bohrer will provide perspectives on an international company investing in the United States, while Nichols can give insights on working for a U.S.-based organization that does business in countries around the globe, Bennett said.

"They know what it is like to make investment decisions in Terre Haute," Bennett added. "They know what it's like to analyze the U.S. market. They make investment decisions and economic decisions about the U.S. economy and local economy from different angles."

Witt can provide perspectives from the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp., which works with businesses and companies looking to invest in the Wabash Valley. The organization advises businesses on strategic decisions and other consulting services in an effort to promote increased business and economic opportunities in the region.

Conant will provide "an academic, rigorous analysis that can complement well what these speakers have to offer," Bennett said.

"This is meant to be a panel discussion, so audience members can come and are encouraged to ask questions," Bennett said."It's not meant to be a lecture."

The event is free and open to the public, and people of all ages, including high school students and educators, are encouraged to attend. The Center for Global Engagement strives to provide knowledge of global trends and issues to Indiana State students and the general public, including the Terre Haute community.

Contact: Jeremy Bennett, graduate assistant, Center for Global Engagement, Indiana State University, jbennett28@sycamores.indstate.edu

Writer: Austin Arceo, assistant director of media relations, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or austin.arceo-negrich@indstate.edu