Experts on business and the economy at the University of Maryland’s Robert H.
Smith School of Business are available to comment on the aftermath of the earthquake
and devastating tsunami in Japan. Smith School experts can address the economic
consequences and energy policy impacts; the use of technology and social media in
disaster response; and the impact of the events on the bond market. The Smith School
has a fiber-linked ReadyCam broadcast studio on premises for live and taped interviews.
Louiqa Raschid on technology applications for disaster response:
Areas of expertise:
- Use of technology-based solutions in disaster response
- The application of information technology to address humanitarian challenges
- Humanitarian open-source software products -- Google’s Person Finder, Ushahidi,
Sahana
Contact: Louiqa Raschid, professor of information systems;
louiqa@rhsmith.umd.edu;
240-423-9212 (mobile);
www.rhsmith.umd.edu/doit/faculty/raschid.aspx.
Peter Morici on economic consequences and impacts on energy policy:
“Gross domestic product, which measures goods and services produced, will immediately
dive in Japan and stay lower through the second and into the third quarters of 2011,
but will then surge as construction and spending on capital equipment to rebuild
drives up growth. Overall, however, Japan will be poorer, for this disaster. Lost
infrastructure, factories and the like will be replaced but wealth is the sum of
what citizens and governments own—those include physical assets like those just
noted and financial wealth, namely securities and cash. Rebuilding will run down
Japan’s financial wealth to replace lost physical assets. As estimates of the damage
emerge, those totals are real deadweight losses to wealth.”
“For the global economy, the nuclear disaster in Japan will cause more delay
in reducing dependence on oil from the politically volatile Middle East. Wind, solar
and other alternatives hold great promise but nuclear still offers the safest, large
scale option around. The problem is the loss of life associated with nuclear failures
gets concentrated, even if it is much smaller over time per British thermal unit
(BTU) produced, at events like Fukushima. That latter will increase hesitation around
the world about building nuclear plants and keep the global economy in the grip
of oil longer.
Contact: Peter Morici, professor; pmorici@rhsmith.umd.edu;
703-549-4338, 703-618-4338
(mobile); www.rhsmith.umd.edu/lbpp/faculty/morici.aspx.
William Rand on use of social media:
Areas of expertise:
- Use of social media in disaster response
- Use of social media for charitable giving
- Social media’s role in reconnecting those impacted
- Social media role in reporting new warnings, developments
Contact: William Rand, assistant professor of marketing;
wrand@rhsmith.umd.edu;
301-405-0146; www.rhsmith.umd.edu/marketing/faculty/rand.aspx.
Elinda Kiss on impact on the Bond markets:
“During time of turmoil, there is a "flight to safety" - the Treasury bill is
at 6 basis points - very low yield. On the other hand, yields on 30-year Treasury
bonds are higher because Japan is the second largest foreign buyer of treasury debt
(behind China). It is believed that Japan is selling U.S. treasury bonds.”
Contact: Elinda Kiss, Tyser Teaching Fellow, finance;
ekiss@rhsmith.umd.edu;
301-405-7538, 215-962-9071 (mobile);
www.rhsmith.umd.edu/finance/faculty/kiss.aspx.
