DHAWAN LEAVES "SOUTHLAND" FOR NEW SOUTH

When Dr. Rajeev Dhawan first told colleagues and friends in Southern California that he was considering the position of director of the Economic Forecasting Center (EFC) in the Robinson College of Business in Atlanta, many questioned why he would want to leave the economic and cultural hotbed of Los Angeles with its sunny, moderate climate and beaches for "Hotlanta." Dhawan admitted in a recent interview that he had no preconceived notions about Atlanta, having visiting only a few times prior to his interview for the position.

"I knew Atlanta had many of the basics you look for in a city - a strong, diversified economy with skilled labor and quality institutions of higher learning," Dhawan said. Other cultural and entertainment aspects of the city were unknown. Like so many other LA residents, Dhawan noted that he also was fairly wrapped up in everything inside the Golden State "since the state believes the world revolves around it."

But he did find support from the younger generation and many of the transplanted Southerners in Southern California, or the "Southland" as it is commonly referred to in the state, who had more of a firsthand knowledge of the many recent changes Atlanta has undergone and its many advantages. His former boss and mentor, Larry Kimbell at UCLA, was from Texas and was very supportive of Dhawan's move to Atlanta.

Although the position in the EFC and the Center's national reputation were the main attractions that fueled his desire to move to Atlanta, Dhawan noted that he has found other benefits as well. After relocating to Atlanta, he said he was pleased to find a fairly integrated society.

Although he did not share the same concerns that some Californians had of the South, one of the main concerns for Dhawan was how he would fit into Atlanta. Having been in Los Angeles for 12 years, Dhawan had developed "a home away from his native country" of India. "With family so far away, the friendships I had developed became like family to me there," he said. He added that it took a while to learn the system in LA and that moving to a different part of the United States may mean learning some of the same things again.

"I am very impressed with Southern hospitality," he said. "Whenever I give a speech in the city or am looking for a particular shop or restaurant, I have found that people here are very supportive and willing to help."

GOALS AND CHALLENGES

Although he has been here just a short time, Dhawan is on his way to accomplishing his initial goals for the Economic Forecasting Center. His immediate goal is to maintain the current fine reputation of the Center and take it to the next level. "Filling Don Ratajczak's shoes is a tough challenge in itself," he said.

Another goal is to implement a new style of hosting forecast conferences in which other expertise - such as in-house faculty, members of other centers, industry experts and business leaders - is brought in on economic matters. In conjunction with the economic resources in the Center, a financial expert in the College, for example, may be called upon to provide more commentary on the stock market, or a real estate professor may be called upon to provide greater insight on the local and state real estate markets.

"I see the EFC serving as an umbrella for expertise, providing an important link between the many resources in the Robinson College of Business and the business community," he said. For all of these goals, Dhawan will rely on his EFC team and invited guest speakers, from both inside and outside of Atlanta.

In addition to forecasting, he plans to link his current academic research to the mission of the Center. His research at UCLA analyzed the impact of monetary policy changes on the growth and survival of small firms. In addition, he wrote a book titled Firm Size, Financial Intermediation and Business Cycles, which explores the effect of credit constraints on U.S. economic performance. He also developed a new statistical technique that measures the productivity of an industry or a nation using firm-level data.