About

Mission & Work

For 48 years the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the UNLV Lee Business School has been Nevada’s premier economic research center. CBER conducts applied and data-driven research to assist business, government, and the community at large. CBER is a public resource that seeks to extend the benefits of UNLV’s expertise in research throughout the State of Nevada and the United States.

In addition, over the next two years in conjunction with the UNLV Office of Economic Development and Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, CBER will serve as a conduit for collaborative intellectual property research between the University and private partners, called the UNLV Applied Research Collaborative.

CBER’s work is wide ranging and includes:

  • Tracking local, regional, and state economic conditions
  • Providing national, state, local and custom economic and business forecasts
  • Conducting economic, business, and market research
  • Providing economic impact studies and data analysis for government, business, and the public
  • Conducting surveys and survey analysis
  • Developing and providing data about the Nevada and Las Vegas economies using economic tools, such as cost benefit analysis, to evaluate policy issues
  • Serving as a resource for local, national, and international media on economic issues
  • Serving as conduit between private entities and the University on collaborative Intellectual Property research in conjunction with UNLV’s Office of Economic Development, known as the UNLV Applied Research Collaborative

As part of our work with UNLV’s Office of Economic Development, CBER also can draw on a wide variety of faculty expertise in other colleges such as business, hospitality, medicine, engineering, and the arts to accomplish our research endeavors.

CBER Team

Andrew Woods

Director

 

Andrew brings more than 15 years of experience as a business and public affairs professional, complemented with a B.A. cum laude in Political Science and Economics from American University, scholarly work at University College London, M.A. in Public Policy from The University of Chicago, and is currently working on his M.B.A. from the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago.

Prior to joining UNLV’s CBER, Andrew started and ran a successful economic analysis, financial management, and public affairs consulting firm, as CEO of Woods Strategies, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Read more about Andrew

Office: BEH 316  |  Mail Code: 6002  |  Phone: 702-972-3871  |  Email: andrew.woods@unlv.edu
Andrew Woods, Director portrait
Dr. Stephen M. Miller portrait

Stephen M. Miller, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Research

 

Stephen M. Miller is Professor of Economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He received higher education training at Purdue University, receiving his bachelor’s degree with distinction in Engineering Sciences Engineering (a part of the Aeronautical Engineering School), and at the State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Economics.

His research interests span monetary, macroeconomic, and international finance theory and policy; economic growth empirics; financial institutions; and real estate lending. The author of over 130 journal articles and several books and research monographs, his research has appeared in a variety of journals.

Read more about Dr. Miller

Office: BEH 503  |  Mail Code: 6002  |  Phone: 702-895-3969  |  Email: stephen.miller@unlv.edu

Jinju Lee

Analyst and Deputy Research Director

 

Jinju has over 8 years with CBER, first as a Graduate Assistant, and now as the Economic Analyst. She is a UNLV alum, earning her Master of Arts in Applied Economics and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Her undergraduate degree is from the Seoul Women’s University where she took Micro- and Macroeconomics, Game Theory, within her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

Jinju is proficient in English and Korean (her native language) and also has working proficiency with Chinese and Japanese.

Read more about Jinju

Office: BEH 300 |  Mail Code: 6002  |  Phone: 702-895-0994  |  Email: jinju.lee@unlv.edu
Jinju Lee portrait
Daniela Rincon, MBA

Daniela Rincon, MBA

Program Manager

 

Prior to joining CBER, Daniela Rincon served as a Project Manager to UNLVSON Professor Dr. Barbara St. Pierre Schneider in the nursing research department. Daniela coached and developed the team members’ administrative and leadership skills along with hiring Pro-Staff and Student Workers, paying invoices, and managing budgets. Daniela is experienced not only in project management, but also Canvas and graphic design.

Read more about Daniela

Office: BEH 302 |  Mail Code: 6002 |  Phone: 702-895-3770  |   Email: daniela.rinconcornejo@unlv.edu

CBER Guest Researchers

C.K. Miller, Ph. D.

Visiting Assistant Professor & Associate Director of Economic Education

 

CK Miller received her doctorate in economics from the University of Utah, her research focuses on labor, migration and feminist economics. She holds a Higher Education Teaching Certification and worked as a faculty instructional consultant at the University of Utah for 5 years. CK’s students are enthusiastic about her ability to bring pop culture references and lots of economic games to the classroom. She is passionate about providing a nuanced introduction to economics and training teachers to provide students with an economics education that will prepare them for the changing world. In her role as Associate Director of Economics Education, she will advocate for the importance of economics education in the classroom and expand the reach of quality higher education directly into the local community.

Office: 702-895-3950  |  Mobile:  941-284-9331  |  Email: crystal.miller@unlv.edu

Graduate and Undergraduate Assistants

Zachary Allen

Graduate Assistant

 

Zachary Allen graduated from UNLV in the Fall of 2022, with a degree in BA in Economics. Since then, Zachary has been enrolled in the MS Applied Economics Program.

Osciel Zamora

Graduate Assistant

 

Osciel Zamora is a recent graduate who is currently part of the CBER graduate program. Osciel earned his degree from UNLV in Spring 2023, with a BA in Economics.

Amanda-Joy Lee

Undergraduate Assistant

 

Amanda-Joy Lee is an undergraduate who works as a faculty assistant for CBER. Amanda plans to graduate from UNLV in Spring of 2024, with a degree in Economics and a minor in Mathematics.

Ramhae Andrea Awit

Undergraduate Assistant

 

Ramhae Andrea Awit is currently a junior at UNLV and is pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing, minor in Information Systems, and certificate in Sport Leadership & Management. Ramhae is a faculty assistant, where she manages all of the social media and communications for CBER.

Allister Dias

Undergraduate Assistant

 

Allister Dias is currently a junior at UNLV and is working towards a degree in Economics with a dual minor in Entrepreneurship and Public Policy.  At CBER, Allister is a faculty assistant and is in charge of the Rebel Business Indicators Newsletter, which is published weekly.