Melissa Haller
Biography
Economic Geography, Regional Economic Development, Innovation Studies, Social Network Analysis, Statistical and Qualitative Methods
As economic development is increasingly built around the dynamics of technological change, my research is broadly focused on the co-evolution of technologies and the cities and regions in which they are produced. Why do some cities have vibrant innovative industries, while others lag behind? How can the technological capabilities of a region help us make sense of uneven development? My master’s thesis preliminarily examines the evolution of the optics industry in the United States, using patent data and social network analysis to trace technological trajectories across space.
Education
MA, Geography, University of California, Los Angeles (2018)
BA, Geography and Economics, summa cum laude, Colgate University (2016)
Research
As economic development is increasingly built around the dynamics of technological change, my research is broadly focused on the co-evolution of technologies and the cities and regions in which they are produced. Why do some cities have vibrant innovative industries, while others lag behind? How can the technological capabilities of a region help us make sense of uneven development? My master's thesis preliminarily examines the evolution of the optics industry in the United States, using patent data and social network analysis to trace technological trajectories across space.
Selected Publications
Haller, M., Haines, M., & Yamamoto, D. (2017). The End of the Nuclear Era: Nuclear Decommissioning and its Impacts on US Counties. Growth and Change, 48(4), 640-660.
Haller, M. (2014). The Socioeconomic Effects of Decommissioning on Local Communities: A Media Framing Analysis of the Experience of Wiscasset, Maine. The Middle States Geographer, 47, 48-59.
Grants & Awards
Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Fellowship, UCLA, 2019GCEG Travel Award from Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 2018Graduate Research Mentorship Fellowship, UCLA, 2017-2018National Science Foundation GRFP Honorable Mention, 2016Graduate Dean’s Scholarship, UCLA, 2016-2018Alumni Memorial Scholar, Colgate University, 2012-2016Charles A Dana Scholar, Colgate University, 2012-2016Shannon McCune Prize in Geography, Colgate University, 2016Marshall-Keynes Award for Excellence in Economics, Colgate University, 2016
