Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--An administrator and researcher in Mississippi State's College of Business and Industry is the new president-elect of a national organization.
Paul Grimes, head of the university's finance and economics department, recently was elected as the next leader of the National Association of Economic Education.
A widely recognized researcher in the fields of economic education and public policy, Grimes officially becomes president in 2009. As president-elect, he will play a primary role in organizing NAEE's annual conference in Biloxi in October.
An MSU faculty member since 1987, the Oklahoma State University doctoral graduate also currently directs MSU's Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy.
"I'm excited to be given the opportunity to lead the national organization and show off our state and all the work we have accomplished in the last five years," he said.
The 50-state National Association of Economic Educators, in association with the National Council on Economic Education, maintains a network of more than 250 university-based centers. Providing professional development opportunities for teachers of economics and personal finance in elementary and high schools is the mission of each center.
"The NAEE network is dedicated to training teachers in how best to use modern curriculum materials and latest instructional techniques," Grimes said, adding that the MSU center, established in 2003, currently is assisting more than 2,000 K-12 teachers.
Financial support for the MSU center is provided by competitive grants and funding from the non-profit Mississippi Council on Economic Education. Grimes said Mississippi "is very fortunate to have a strong state council that, in turn, is supported by the state's business community and congressional delegation." He cited the "Forum on American Enterprise" hosted by U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) to help raise funds for the state programs.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional information, contact Dr. Grimes at 662-325-1987 or pgrimes@cobilan.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.