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Two of the Washington, D.C., region’s most recognized and respected economic and policy research entities—George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis (CRA) and its Stephen S. Fuller Institute for Research on the Washington Region’s Economic Future (SFI)—have joined forces in an effort to expand and deepen their longtime efforts to support economic and community development in the region.
The units’ missions are complementary, with the SFI continuing to provide real-time research and analysis of economic issues and conditions that affect the Washington region now and in the future; the CRA, with its broader geographic reach, continues to provide data, analytics, and research with state and national implications in a wide range of crucial issues. Both units are headed by CRA director and professor of public policy Terry Clower and are housed at the Schar School of Policy and Government.
Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School, noted that while each research center provides critical guidance to regional business leaders and policy makers, “the post-pandemic labor markets and ever-changing economic conditions made it clear that the best path forward is to realize strategic and operational synergies by combining the CRA and the Fuller Institute under a single leader in Dr. Clower.”
With the consolidation, Rozell said, “the two research centers will continue their nearly 40 years of combined history as key resources for those who rely on their insights to keep the region’s economy moving forward.”
“Working with sponsors and partners over the past eight years, the CRA has been able to expand its portfolio to include research and engagement activities across the commonwealth of Virginia, the DMV, the U.S., and internationally,” said Clower, who joined Mason in 2014 and took the helm at the Center a year later.
With the five-year-old Fuller Institute under the same umbrella, Clower said, “No matter the project’s location or topic, we bring what we learn back to Northern Virginia and the D.C. metro area so we can help our region and state grow and thrive…Working with Dr. Fuller the past few months to bring our entities together makes me appreciate anew just how much he has brought to this region over the past 50 years.”
Fuller, founding director of the SFI and now a University Professor Emeritus, said the institute will continue to monitor the economic forces affecting the region as they emerge.
“By combining these two complementary research organizations, both will benefit from sharing staff and knowledge as well as gaining increased management and operation efficiencies,” said Fuller. “Blending the unique capabilities and missions of these two organizations will be a win-win for all the beneficiaries of these services and for the advancement of economic research on critical issues in these uncertain economy times.”
The CRA and the Fuller Institute will host the first CRA/Fuller Institute Joint Economic Outlook Forum on Tuesday, November 15, at Mason Square in Arlington from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Clower and Fuller Institute founder Stephen S. Fuller will examine the current challenges and opportunities facing the region’s economy and will present analysis and insights on employment, housing, construction, retail, and other decisive aspects effecting the region’s economy in 2023 and beyond. Bob Buchanan, a third-generation builder and civic leader and president of the 2030 Group, will provide opening remarks.
The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required at this site.
About the Schar School of Policy and Government
George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government prepares undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders and managers who solve problems and advance the public good in all sectors and levels of government—in the United States and throughout the world. Located where policy happens—just 3 miles from the Pentagon, 4 miles from The White House, and 6 miles from the U.S. Capitol Building—students are connected to jobs, internships, networking, and experiences that can only be found in the Washington, D.C., area.
About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at gmu.edu