Dr. Edward Timmons
Director
Dr. Edward Timmons is a Service Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at the John Chambers School of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He completed his Ph.D. in Economics at Lehigh University. His research has been published in scholarly journals including The Journal of Law and Economics, The Journal of Regulatory Economics, The Journal of Labor Research, The British Journal of Industrial Relations, Health Policy, Monthly Labor Review, and Nicotine and Tobacco Research. His research has been heavily cited by the popular press, by the Federal Trade Commission, the Obama White House, and also in a Senate hearing entitled "License to Compete: Occupational Licensing and the State Action Doctrine."
He is regularly asked to provide expert testimony in state legislatures across the US on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners.
He has also authored numerous articles in the popular press in publications including Harvard Business Review, the Philadelphia Inquirer, US News & World Report, The Hill, the Washington Examiner, the Tampa Bay Times, the Dallas Morning News, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Detroit News, the Virginian-Pilot, the Tennessean and the South Florida Sun Sentinel. In May of 2014 he worked as a visiting research fellow at the Collegio Carlo Alberto in Moncalieri, Italy. He is a Senior Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center and a Senior Research Fellow with the Archbridge Institute.
Dr. Kihwan Bae
Research Fellow
Kihwan Bae, PhD a research fellow at the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at West Virginia University.
Dr. Bae’s current research interests lie at the intersection of labor economics and consumer finance. He is particularly interested in empirical analysis on economic incentives and public policies relevant to occupational licensing, migration, higher-education financing, and high-cost consumer loans.
Dr. Bae has taught classes in business analytics: Data Base Management and Introduction to Business Analytics.
Prior to joining the Knee Center at WVU, he was a faculty member at Saint Francis University and an economist at the Bank of Korea (BOK). At the BOK, he conducted economic policy research on the East Asia and Pacific region and contributed to publishing the BOK Annual Report and launching new policy research paper series.
Dr. Bae received a PhD in economics from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree from Yonsei University. During his undergraduate study, he and his colleagues won the National Monetary Policy Competition in South Korea, a student competition similar to the College Fed Challenge.
Troy Carneal
Legislative Analyst
Troy Carneal joined the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at West Virginia University in May of 2022. As a Legislative Analyst, he works to keep the center's database up-to-date.
A Virginia native, Troy graduated from WVU in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in Political Science. In his free time, Troy enjoys playing golf, watching sports, visiting historical sites, and spending time with family and friends.
Shawn Cooper (Cooper)
Public Relations Specialist
Shawn Cooper, who goes by Cooper, joined the Knee Center in June of 2022 as an Outreach and Public Relations Coordinator. Prior to joining the Knee Center, Cooper received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from West Virginia University, and then went on to earn his Master of Arts in Public Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration and a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from West Virginia University. Cooper's prior experience has been detailed with operational and program management, as well as social media marketing for previous employers.
Ethan Kelley
Legislative Analyst
Ethan Kelley is a Legislative Analyst at the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation (CSOR) at West Virginia University. He is tasked with collecting and analyzing regulatory data for different professions, industries, and contributes to editorial writings related to occupational licensing. In addition, he aids in maintaining the occupational database and assists with research at the Knee Center. He graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Economics and Philosophy from West Virginia University in 2021. Before joining the Knee Center, he participated as a research assistant with the Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the spring of his senior year, at West Virginia University in drafting an economic forecast and report for the Huntington area. With the final report being published under West Virginia University’s Research Repository and the Bureau of Business and Economic Research’s website.
Dr. Matthew Mitchell
Senior Research Fellow
Matthew D. Mitchell is a Senior Research Fellow at the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at West Virginia University. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute and an Affiliated Senior Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
In his writing and research, he specializes in economic freedom, public choice economics, and the economics of regulatory barriers to entry.
Mitchell has testified before the US Congress and several state legislatures. He has advised federal, state, and local government policymakers on both fiscal and regulatory policy. His research has been featured in numerous national media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, National Public Radio, and C-SPAN.
Mitchell received his PhD and MA in economics from George Mason University and his BA in political science and BS in economics from Arizona State University. He is also an affiliated senior scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
Lori Noble
Public Relations
Ms. Noble joined the Knee Regulatory Research Center in July 2022 as Outreach and Public Relations Coordinator. Prior to her service at the Center, Ms. Noble earned her BA in Real Estate Studies from Forbes School of Business and her SRA designation from the Appraisal Institute. In 2018, she coordinated a national education platform for the Appraiser’s Economic Conference in San Antonio, TX. Ms. Noble remains an active appraiser and supervisor in West Virginia to guide future appraisers and licensees. In 2022, she led the first appraiser licensing reform in her state to end barriers to entry and discrimination with an emphasis on adherence to Administrative Procedures Act; HB4285 went into effect the same year.
Conor Norris
Assistant Director
Conor Norris is Assistant Director at the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at the John Chambers School of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. His research has been published in scholarly journals including The Journal of Regulatory Economics, Health Policy, Seminars in Dialysis, Quarterly Journal of Finance and Accounting, Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, and Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice. His research has been cited by the popular press.
He has provided expert testimony in state legislatures on occupational licensing reform and the practice telemedicine.
He has also authored numerous articles in the popular press in publications including the Chicago Tribune, The Houston Chronicle, The Columbia Dispatch, The Tennessean, The Western Journal, The Arizona Daily Star, The Clarion Ledger, and more. He was a graduate research fellow for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University from 2016-2018. He is a Policy Fellow for Catalyst and a Occupational Licensing Fellow for Empower Mississippi.
Dr. Alicia Plemmons
Assistant Professor and Research Fellow
Alicia Plemmons is an Assistant Professor of Business in the Department of General Business at West Virginia University, Director of the Online/Hybrid Master of Business Administration Program, a Research Fellow of the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation, Resident Scholar of Data Driven West Virginia, and co-founder and leader of the Scope of Practice and Medical Licensure Research Group. Her research uses applied spatial and econometric methods to determine how policy changes affect labor markets by studying how to create environments that facilitate healthy economic growth and business development through research into the determinants of entry, operation, and exit decisions of firms, laborers, and consumers. Her research has been published in numerous academic journals, such as the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Health Economics, and Annals of Regional Science. Her work on medical licensure and certificate of need laws has been featured in several news outlets.
Alanna Wilson
Associate Director
Alanna Wilson is the Associate Director at the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at West Virginia University. She leads efforts in community outreach, legislative involvement, policymaker networking, grant writing, and manages the center’s communications through various media outlets. Before coming to West Virginia University, Wilson interned for the US Senate as a Deputy Finance Director and worked for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Legislative Aide and Pennsylvania Senate specializing in Constituent Relations. Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Psychology and History from Temple University and a Master of Professional Studies degree in Community and Economic Development from The Pennsylvania State University.