Edward J. Feser
Associate Professor
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
University of Illinois

Dr. Feser is a nationally recognized expert on industry clustering and state and local economic development policy. His research focuses on the forces influencing the growth, decline, economic adjustment, and industrial restructuring of cities and regions. He has published work on technology-oriented economic development, theories of industry clustering, industry cluster analysis methods, regional influences on process technology adoption in manufacturing, and the improvement of data and spatial-analytical techniques for local development practice.

Dr. Feser's research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the World Bank, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States, as well as multiple state and local agencies.

Feser taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for seven years prior to coming to UIUC in 2004 under the Faculty Excellence Program of the Office of the Provost. In 2003 he served as Assistant Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, where he acted as chief economist and senior policy advisor to the Secretary and directed the reorganization and expansion of the agency's Division of Policy, Research and Strategic Planning. He continues to work closely with state and local governments on issues related to his research.Back