Season 2 Episode 27

What is the Fed? with Jason DeBacker

• Host
• Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
• Dr. Jason DeBacker, Associate Professor, Economics

When last we had him on Moore Impact, Jason DeBacker helped us understand the On Big Beautiful Bill’s positives and negatives. He also talked about the impact of protectionist policies on trade. In this episode, we ask him to explain the Federal Reserve and its role in economic policy.

Jason M. DeBacker is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the Darla Moore School of Business. His research interests lie in the areas of public finance and macroeconomics. He has published papers on these topics in the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Law and Economics, the Journal of Public Economics, the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and other outlets. From 2009 to 2012, he worked as a financial economist in the Office of Tax Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Topics in this discussion include:

• What is the Federal Reserve
• The Federal Reserve’s mandate and the tools it uses to fulfill it
• Treasury bonds and interest rates
• The 2008 economic crisis and the Fed’s response
• COVID and the Fed’s behavior
• How the consumer is affected by the Fed’s behaviors
• The structure of the Federal Reserve
• Jason’s newest book project on the economics of longer lifespans

To learn more about Jason DeBacker click here.

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Episode picture courtesy TheBalance.com

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 24

Case Competitions, Study Abroad, and other ways the Moore School prepares Graduates for their Future Careers

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Grantland Rogers, recent alum from DMSB

The Moore School experience was covered in Episode Season 2 Episode 17 with Laurel and Trey, both Real Estate majors with some entrepreneurship coursework. Here we hear from Grantland Rogers, a recent graduate of the Moore School’s International Business program with a major in Finance and also the South Carolina Honors College. The general business principles are easily accessible across the Moore School but the application of those principles varies widely depending on the coursework, the activities, and the careers our students choose.

Topics in this discussion include:

• Finding his way to the Moore School with some help from former Dean, Dr. Peter Brews
• The Honors College connection and special courses
• The liberal arts education and its value
• Study abroad and the opportunities and challenges therewith
• Case competitions and how they complement the academic experience
• How the general principles of business are applied across a spectrum of opportunities at the Moore School
• Grantland’s Honors thesis work on implementing AI in small financial advisory firms
• Software implementations and how firms can approach AI projects
• Grantland’s new job in consulting with EY
• Technical and case study interviews and how the Moore School prepares students for them

To learn more about the International Business major at the Moore School click here.

To meet Grantland Rogers on LinkedIn click here.

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 23

Entrepreneurship and the Export of Education

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Dr. Geoffrey Graybeal, Executive Director, Faber Entrepreneurship Center

The Faber Entrepreneurship Center promotes experiential learning through in-depth consulting projects as part of student course work. For its research programs and commercialization projects, the center works in conjunction with the South Carolina Research Authority, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, various schools and colleges at South Carolina and a broad range of other entities to bring inventions and innovative technologies developed at the university and throughout South Carolina into the marketplace.

New Executive Director Dr. Geoffrey Graybeal joins Moore Impact to talk about how the Entrepreneurship Center and management curriculum is exporting education. It’s the third episode in a series on tariffs and trade policy.

Topics in this discussion include:

• Faber Center roles and mission
• Education as an export specifically in entrepreneurship
• US trade surplus in services in innovation and entrepreneurship
• Faber and other programming for international students
• The spectrum of entrepreneurship in DMSB education
• The universality of entrepreneurship
• The impact of international students on the academic environment
• Intellectual property as competitive advantage
• What are the risks of sharing knowledge and education overseas?
• The role of education in international relations and soft power

To learn more about Geoffrey Graybeal click here.

To learn more about the Faber Entrepreneurship Center click here.

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Photo credit from this website International Trade Administration

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 22

Taxes and Tariffs with Jason DeBacker

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Dr. Jason DeBacker, Associate Professor, Economics

When last we had him on Moore Impact, Jason DeBacker helped us understand the South Carolina drive to 0% income tax. Now that the general assembly session has ended, we get an update from Jason on South Carolina tax policy, the One Big Beautiful Bill, and a macro view of tariffs. It’s part two in the Trade Policy series on Moore Impact.

Jason M. DeBacker is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the Darla Moore School of Business. His research interests lie in the areas of public finance and macroeconomics. He has published papers on these topics in the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Law and Economics, the Journal of Public Economics, the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and other outlets. From 2009 to 2012, he worked as a financial economist in the Office of Tax Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Topics in this discussion include:

• Reconciliation bills and the One Big Beautiful Bill
• Rules around debt, deficit, and budget nerds
• OBBB positives like expensing business investment and incentivizing R&D
• OBBB negatives like added complexity and reduced funding to meet the needs of that complexity
• What is economic trade and why is it useful?
• Other protectionist policies that impact trade
• Education as an export

To learn more about Jason DeBacker click here.

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Photo credit Home Furnishings Association's blog

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 21

Tariffs and Trade Policy with Dr. Bill Hauk

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Dr. Bill Hauk, Assistant Professor, Economics

The news is full of economic policy these days as the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4th and tariffs received another delay shortly thereafter. In this episode from June 17, 2025, Dr. Bill Hauk discusses trade deficits, tariffs, and who is really benefitting from the economic shuffleboard happening right now.

William R. Hauk, Jr. is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, where he arrived after receiving a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University in California and a B.S. from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has taught international trade, intermediate macroeconomics, principles of macroeconomics and government policy toward business at the undergraduate levels and regularly teaches an international trade course for the doctoral program.

Topics in this discussion include:

• Bill’s professional and academic journey and expertise in global economic policy
• Foreign Direct Investment and South Carolina as a recipient thereof
• The Trump perspective and resulting trade policy
• The impact of tariffs on South Carolina trade
• The growth of global supply chains and trade deficits
• The role of automation and other factors in trade deficits
• Who really pays tariffs
• Smoot Hawley and what history has taught us about tariffs
• Trade deficit as a security risk

To learn more about Bill Hauk click here.

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Episode photo courtesy Wilson Center blog "Tariffs 101"

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 20

The Degree Gets More Valuable with Alumni Success

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • David Looper, two-time Moore School alum and owner of Furniture Services
  • Dylan Chewning, Moore School alum and founder of HG Wealth Advisors

The Alumni network at the Moore School of business has been strengthened over the years by the work of the Young Alumni Board. In this episode, we speak with David Looper, one of the earliest members of the Board, and Dillon Chewning, a recent member of the Board, about the work the organization is doing. Both David and Dillon are business owners and we talk about the skills the Moore School gave them that made business ownership possible. We also talk about the value of the Moore School degree as our school’s alumni go out, take big swings, and get big wins.

Topics in this discussion include:

• David’s journey through the Moore School and into business ownership
• Dillon’s journey through the Moore School and into business ownership
• The value of the Moore School experience and knowledge gained
• The realities of business ownership and learning in real time
• Moore School interns and new hires and how valuable they are
• Moore School mentoring program and being involved
• The Moore School alumni network and the value of the degree.

To learn more about the Moore School mentoring click here.

To learn more about the Moore School’s alumni networking and events click here.

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Episode art 

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 19

Corporate Relations and Training Leaders at the Moore School

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Dr. Patrick Wright, Associate Dean for Corporate Relations

Universities have relationships with corporate partners that span multiple disciplines and schools. Coordinating those relationships takes transparency and leadership. In his new role as Associate Dean of Corporate Relations, Dr. Pat Wright is representing the Moore School in a campus-wide effort to get on the same page with our corporate partners. In this episode of Moore Impact, we discuss the role, the responsibilities, and the opportunities presented by moving the Moore School forward.

We also look at the newly adopted Leadership Framework at the Moore School, the elements and the various ways we’re using classroom and non-classroom engagements to help our students grow competencies in it. Lastly, we touch on Wright’s upcoming paper about DEI in companies and what’s really going on there.

Patrick Wright is the Associate Dean for Corporate Relations, management department chair, Thomas C. Vandiver Bicentennial Chair and professor of management at the University of South Carolina. He is also founder and former faculty director of the Center for Executive Succession at the Moore School. He teaches, conducts research and consults in the area of strategic human resource management. In particular, his research focuses on how firms use people as a source of competitive advantage, changing nature of the chief HR officer role and CEO succession processes. Each year he conducts a survey of Fortune 500 CHROs which gains insights on issues and challenges from the top of the HR house. Wright has published over 70 research articles in journals, over 20 chapters in books and edited volumes and has co-authored two textbooks and two books on HR practice. He has also served a 3-year term as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Management. 

Topics in this discussion include:

• The Corporate Relations role
• How coordination benefits the Moore School and our students
• The Leadership Framework and how we’re delivering qualified students
• How the Leadership Framework was developed and set to be implemented
• What’s next in Leadership training at the Moore School
• Wright’s research on DEI and what companies are reporting on the topic

To learn more about Patrick Wright click here

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Picture courtesy this link

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 18

Short Term Rentals Get the Academic Treatment in Charleston Event

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Dr. Mark Ferguson, Dewey H. Johnson Professor of Management Science

The South Carolina legislature is considering taking action on short-term rentals and several local county councils and city councils have already done so. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mark Ferguson from the DMSB Management Science department who, in collaboration with colleagues in the School of Hospitality, Retail, and Sports Management recently hosted a scholars event to focus on short-term rentals.

Ferguson's research interests involve many areas of supply chain management including supply chain design for sustainable operations, contracts that improve overall supply chain efficiency, pricing and revenue management, and the operations/marketing interface. His 2012 paper on the environmental impact of product leasing won the best operations management paper award for papers published between 2012 and 2014 in Management Science. Another two of his papers have won best paper awards from the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), and three of his research projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation. He is the coauthor of the books Segmentation, Revenue Management and Pricing Analytics and Pricing Segmentation and Analytics and coeditor of the book Closed Loop Supply Chains: New Developments to Improve the Sustainability of Business Practices. He has served as the president of the INFORMS Manufacturing and Services Operations Management Society, the president of the POMS College of Supply Chain Management and the INFORMS Revenue Management and Pricing Section. 

Topics in this discussion include:

• What are short term rentals and where did the market come from
• What communities and companies are affected by short term rentals
• What are some of the restrictions being considered and enacted
• The event design and the data made available
• What the scholarship teams looked into and the results they found
• Suggestions for future research

To learn more about Mark Ferguson click here

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Photo credit: Mad River Valley Real Estate blog

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 17

Freshly Minted Alumni Share their Excitement for the Future

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Laurel Ray Treadway, recent graduate
  • Trey DeTurris, recent graduate

Trey and Laurel are recent graduates (like from a week ago) from the Darla Moore School of business and joined Dr. Whitener in the studio to cut up about the experience they had on campus. They share the changes they went through, the studies they enjoyed, and advice for rising seniors.

Topics in this discussion include:

• How did they each select USC and why  
• What they majored in and what they hope to do now
• What the school did to support their success
• How the Moore School supported their efforts and ensured their success
• Th bittersweetness of being alumni and how connecting with the Alumni Association will be a critical first step  

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore

Season 2 Episode 16

What we know about remote work with Anthony Nyberg

• Host
  • Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clinical Assistant Professor, Management
• Guest
  • Dr. Anthony Nyberg, J. Henry Fellers Professor of Management, Faculty Director for the Center for Executive Succession

There’s a trend in workforce dynamics right now to return to office, or end remote work arrangements. To respond to that, we brought Dr. Anthony Nyberg, a human resources researcher to talk about compensation, incentives, succession planning, and competitive advantage through personnel.

Nyberg’s research focuses on how organizations compete through people, specifically the strategic role of pay in their attraction, emergence, retention and motivation, including those in the C-suite. Nyberg’s work has been published in top academic journals. He serves as an associate editor for the Academy of Management Journal and on the editorial boards of other prestigious management journals. Nyberg has received numerous awards for teaching, reviews and research including awards for best dissertation, best published manuscript (twice) and career success, including being named a Featured Scholar and a Breakthrough Rising Star by the University of South Carolina. He also received the Early Career Achievement award from the Academy of Management. His research has been highlighted in major international media outlets, including Business Week, Time Magazine, National Public Radio, US News & World Report, Harvard Business Review and CNBC.

Topics in this discussion include:

• What compensation is and who decides what it should be
• Work from home as a retention incentive
• What the data shows about COVID working conditions
• Differences in the people and differences in the task affect remote work and management thereof
• The mixed-modality workforce and challenges therein
• The role of research in organizational management 
• The biggest reason companies are issuing return-to-work mandates

To learn more about Anthony Nyberg click here

Learn more about the Darla Moore School here

Photo credit: VioletaStoimenova / E+ / Getty Images pulled from this site.

Moore Impact is a product of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. For episodes, notes, and links visit sc.edu/moore