Personnel Roster
- Professor Alan
D. MacPherson, Ph.D., Director
Dr. MacPherson is a Professor of Geography at the University at Buffalo. He was also Chair of the department from 2001-2007. As an industrial geographer, his principal research interest concerns the relationship between technological innovation and regional economic development. He also has an active interest in export development and Canada-United States trade. His teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses in international business and economic geography. Dr. MacPherson received a B. A. degree from the University of Dundee, a professional (RTPI) diploma in urban planning from Edinburgh College of Art, and M. A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Toronto.
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Professor James E. McConnell, Ph.D., Associate Director
Dr. McConnell is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus. Dr. McConnell was Director of the Trade Center since its inception in 1988 to 1995. He also Chair of the Department of Geography from 1983-88 and 1994-99. His teaching and research interests are in international business, industrial location, and regional growth and development. Currently, Dr. McConnell is focusing on regional economic development strategies for international border areas, government trade and industry policy for declining industries, prospects for a Western hemisphere free-trade area, and exports from U.S. metropolitan areas and economic impact on related firms and city-regions.
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Professor Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, Ph.D., CUSTAC Research Associate
Dr. Bagchi-Sen is a Professor of Geography at the University at Buffalo. Her research interests are international trade, foreign direct investment, service industries, labor markets and urban-industrial geography. Dr. Bagchi-Sen is the editor of the Professional Geographer. Dr. Bagchi-Sen's teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses in economic geography and international business. She received a B. S. degree from Calcutta University, an M. S. degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, a certificate in Global Policy Studies and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
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Professor Trina Hamilton, Ph.D., CUSTAC Research Associate
Dr. Hamilton is a Assistant Professor of Geography at the University at Buffalo. Her research interests are corporate social and environmental responsibility, global governance and international trade. Dr. Hamilton received her Ph.D. from Clark University.
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Professor Jessie Poon, Ph.D., CUSTAC Research Associate
Dr. Poon is a Professor of Geography at the University at Buffalo. Her research interests include regionalism and trading blocs, trade, investment and regional development, political economy of Asia; Asian business networks, world cities, international financial cities and financial geography. Dr. Poon is the North American editor of Papers in Regional Science. She is also an editorial board member of Annals in Regional Science, Environment and Planning A, and the International Game Theory Review. Dr. Poon's teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses in organization of industrial space in the Asia Pacific, geography of development, industrial geography, geography of economic systems, and methods in regional analysis. She received a M. A. in Geography from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. in Geography from Ohio State University.
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Professor Sam Cole, Ph.D., CUSTAC Research Associate
Sam Cole is a Professor in the Department of Planning since 1983. He has served as Director of the Center for Regional studies from 1988-1993 and is a former President of the North East Regional Science Association. Professor Cole's areas of interest are socioeconomic planning, regional and island development, global modeling, social and technological forecasting. His current projects include: an evaluation of the Niagara Mohawk PowerChoice proposals for New York State, the impact of a cruise Ship Care facility in the Bahamas, and a socioeconomic analysis of the role of the Niagara Falls Power Project in the development of Western New York. During Spring 2000 Professor. Cole worked with the Center for Urban Studies to develop on-line economic impact models for the inner-city neighborhoods.
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Mr. David Pritchard, Ph.D., CUSTAC Research Associate
Dr. Pritchard established Pravco, a consulting company, which specializes in global trade services. He is an expert in aerospace marketing and product introduction into Europe, Russia/CIS, China and Asia.
- Mr. Michael F. Ziolkowski,
Ph.D., CUSTAC Research Associate
Dr. Ziolkowski is a Senior Manager of Transportation Services for Ingram Micro, Inc. His research interests include academic and commercial linkages, logistics and supply chain management, border security, and waterfront development. He serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations and teaches supply-chain management at Canisius College. Michael and his family reside on Grand Island, NY.
- Ms. Donna Banach, Administrator
Ms. Banach earned a B. A. in Social Science Interdisciplinary Studies from the University at Buffalo in 1999. As a graduate student she attended UB and Buffalo State College, majoring in natural sciences and secondary education. She currently manages the offices for CUSTAC, the Canadian-American Studies and Canadian Studies Academic Program at the University at Buffalo.