Understanding the Issues Behind
the Economic Crisis and Housing Meltdown

The Wisconsin School of Business is playing an important role in broadening public understanding of major financial and housing challenges facing the nation. Faculty are sharing their expertise and engaging with major players on the national stage who visited the school in recent days.

Faculty Experts In the Headlines

A number of faculty experts from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are closely following developments in U.S. housing and financial markets and are available to media for expert comment.

	Jon Davis Arthur Andersen Alumni Professor and Chair, Accounting and Information Systems Davis can discuss income tax issues in general, especially with respect to business entities (corporations, partnerships, etc.) and Federal tax policy issues. In addition, he can discuss agent-based modeling and his research related to judgment and decision-making.
	Morris Davis Assistant Professor, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics Davis worked at the Federal Reserve Board under Alan Greenspan for six years before joining the UW-Madison faculty. Davis can discuss macroeconomics, Federal Reserve policy, housing, home building, home prices and the interaction between housing and the macroeconomy.
	Jim Johannes Associate Dean, US Bank Professor of Banking, and Director of the Puelicher Center for Banking Education Johannes chaired the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institution's Committee to rewrite the Wisconsin Consumer Act. Johannes can discuss the Federal Reserve, monetary policy, commercial banking and bank regulatory history.
	Michael Knetter Dean, Wisconsin School of Business; Professor, Finance, Investment and Banking; Faculty Affiliate, La Follette School of Public Affairs Knetter, a research associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research, can discuss macroeconomics, international finance and fiscal and monetary policy.
	Stephen Malpezzi Lorin and Marjorie Tiefenthaler Distinguished Chair in Real Estate Malpezzi can discuss real estate and urban development, both domestically and in other countries. His current work focuses on housing prices, regulatory issues, responses to the current financial crisis and the international economy.
	Terrance Maxwell Lecturer, Finance, Investment and Banking Maxwell worked as head of investment banking for Robert W. Baird & Co, where he spent 20 years advising companies on equity financing and M&A opportunities. Maxwell can discuss mergers & acquisitions, financing organizations, investment banking, and capital markets.
	Elizabeth Odders-White Associate Professor, Finance, Investment and Banking. Odders-White can discuss issues related to liquidity and equity trading.
	Mark Ready Jeffrey Diermeier Chair of Financee; faculty director of the Stephen L. Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis Ready can discuss trading and prices of stocks and bonds.
	Timothy Riddiough E. S. Plesko Chair of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics; faculty director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate Riddiough can discuss the sub-prime and financial market crisis, sub-prime mortgages, mortgage securitization, foreclosure policy and real estate pricing, as well as broader issues of credit risk, leverage, and liquidity in the financial system.
	Larry Rittenberg Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting, Accounting and Information Systems Rittenberg can discuss issues related to the failure of risk management, the need for accounting transparency, and the auditor's role related to the current economic crisis.
	Joan T. Schmit American Family Insurance Professor of Risk Management and Insurance Schmit can discuss risk management, particularly focused on the enterprise risk management framework and insurer involvement in the current economic conditions.
	James Seward Prochnow Fellow in Finance; Executive Director, Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking Seward can discuss mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies, corporate finance and restructurings.
	Hollis Skaife Associate Professor, Accounting and Information Systems Skaife can discuss international financial reporting standards, internal controls, and audit quality.
	Terry Warfield Associate Professor, Accounting and Information Systems; Director, Arthur Andersen Center for Financial Reporting and Control Warfield can discuss issues relating to accounting and international accounting, financial reporting, accounting regulation, standard-setting, securities regulation, and corporate governance.

View a complete list of Wisconsin School of Business faculty

Economic Policy Platforms of the Presidential Campaigns
Senior economic advisors of the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns discuss the candidates' positions on critical areas of economic policy at the Wisconsin School of Business. Dean Michael Knetter moderates the discussion.

John Oros of JC Flowers Discusses Financial Market/Federal Government Response
John Oros, BBA ’71, managing director of JC Flowers, a private equity firm based in New York, shares his experience with the financial markets and the government’s response.

Faculty Panel Discusses Financial Impact
Faculty members in finance and real estate discuss the current state of the financial markets and the federal government’s policy response.

Steve Malpezzi
The Crisis in U.S. Housing and Financial Markets: How Did We Get Here? Which Way Out?

Morris Davis Testifies before Senate Committee on Home Prices, Economy
Morris Davis, an assistant professor of real estate and urban land economics, testifies before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in December 2007. Davis makes the case that a decline in house prices will be accompanied by a slowdown in residential investment and the gross domestic product. He notes residential investment is already below trends, and expected to fall further as house prices decline.

First Business Economic Survey of Dane County, 12/3/08:
http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=142782
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/316955
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/316929
http://wistechnology.com/articles/5269/
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-madison-area-feeling-recession-survey-says-/2008/12/03/3830545.htm

US GDP 2008-2009 with Mike Knetter, 12/3/08

FDIC data shows most Louisville-area banks taking a hit, 12/3/08

Official news of recession sends markets reeling, 12/2/08

Deal trumps brands for some car shoppers, 11/28/08

Wisconsin Shoppers Do More Looking Than Buying, 11/28/08

Spectrum stock falls to 8 cents a share, 11/24/08

No end in sight for Spectrum's woes, 11/24/08

What goes down must come up, 11/22/08

Mortgage crisis affecting college enrollment total, 11/20/08

More holiday shoppers buying online, 11/17/08

Financial strategists see gloom, but then a rally, 11/14/08