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A list of all the posts and pages found on the site. For you robots out there, there is an XML version available for digesting as well.
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Posts
portfolio
Local Finance & Extreme Weather — Replication Code
Stata code replicating the analysis on community banks and economic resilience to extreme weather events.
research
Synthesis of Proposed Inhibitors of the Enzyme Aspartate-Beta-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase.
Analogs for the substrates of aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase were prepared. Phosphonomethylcysteine, its sulfoxide, and its sulfone were synthesized starting from phosphonomethyltrifluoromethanesulfonic acid and cysteine. Phosphonomethylhomocysteine, its sulfoxide, and its sulfone were prepared in a similar manner. 2-Amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, 2-amino-4-butanoic acid, were synthesized via the Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky...
Recommended citation: Halkides CJ, Langford WS, Kish WS, Johnson NP, Lookadoo DB, Hey B, Jansen D, Hifko N. Synthesis of Proposed Inhibitors of the Enzyme Aspartate-Beta-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase. Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research. (2018)
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The Fragile State of the National Institutes of Health Pediatric Research Portfolio, 1992-2015.
In this article, we examine the status of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) pediatric research portfolio between start of federal fiscal year (FY) 1992 and end of FY 2015. The NIH experienced the greatest mean annual growth rate during the “doubling era” (FY 1998-2003):...
Recommended citation: Gitterman DP, Langford WS, Hay Jr WW. The Fragile State of the National Institutes of Health Pediatric Research Portfolio, 1992-2015. JAMA Pediatrics. (2018)
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The Uncertain Fate of the National Institutes of Health Pediatric Research Portfolio.
Background: The amount of federal dollars allocated to improving the health of our pediatric population can serve as an indicator of the priority placed on child well-being. Although Congress has established novel mechanisms that marginally increase pediatric research funding, the pediatric research portfolio is facing...
Recommended citation: Gitterman DP, Langford WS, Hay Jr WW. The Uncertain Fate of the National Institutes of Health Pediatric Research Portfolio. Pediatric Research. (2018)
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Catching the Whale: A Comparison of Place Promotion Strategies Through the Lens of Amazon HQ2.
Identifying potential sites for firm relocation or expansion is a negotiated process that involves both firms and localities. Some firms focus on profit enhancement through cost minimization, while others seek qualities that maximize talent attraction and benefit corporate identity. Simultaneously, localities seek to maximize the...
Recommended citation: Nager AB, Lowe Reed AS, Langford WS. Catching the Whale: A Comparison of Place Promotion Strategies Through the Lens of Amazon HQ2. Geography Compass. (2019)
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The Distribution of Indirect Cost Recovery in Academic Research.
Research universities rely heavily on external funding to advance knowledge and generate economic growth. In the USA, tens of billions of dollars are spent each year on research and development with the federal government contributing over half of these funds. Yet a decline in relative...
Recommended citation: Graddy-Reed A, Feldman MP, Bercovitz J, Langford WS. The Distribution of Indirect Cost Recovery in Academic Research. Science and Public Policy. (2021)
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Making the Case for Pediatric Research: A Life-Cycle Approach and The Return on Investment.
There is unmistakable evidence of increased NIH funding for pediatric and perinatal research, but there is much work to be done. To further promote NIH-funded pediatric and perinatal research, we advocate for a life-cycle approach in which the return on the investment continues over the...
Recommended citation: Gitterman D, Langford WS, Hay Jr WW. Making the Case for Pediatric Research: A Life-Cycle Approach and The Return on Investment. Pediatric Research. (2022)
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We Miss You George Bailey: The Effect of Local Banking Conditions on the County-Level Timing of the Great Recession.
Community banks have a unique capacity to strengthen economic resilience by alleviating local firm credit constraints during economic downturns. We provide evidence that banking access and community bank market share affected both the county-level timing and duration of the Great Recession in the United States....
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Feldman MP. We Miss You George Bailey: The Effect of Local Banking Conditions on the County-Level Timing of the Great Recession. Regional Studies. (2022)
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The NIH Childhood Adversity Portfolio: Unmet Needs, Emerging Challenges.
Despite the significant increase in pediatric funding, an important question is whether recent changes in the burden of disease and conditions (child and adolescent mortality and nonfatal health loss) are reflected in the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) allocation process. As it sets future priorities,...
Recommended citation: Gitterman D, Hay Jr WW, Langford WS. The NIH Childhood Adversity Portfolio: Unmet Needs, Emerging Challenges. Pediatric Research (2023)
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Banking for the Other Half: The Factors That Explain Banking Desert Formation.
Banks are one of the key drivers of economic development across communities. Banking deserts—defined by inadequate banking access—limit access to capital, inhibit wealth accumulation, and increase exposure to predatory lending. Banking desert formation could be profit-driven, with lower-income and less densely populated regions more likely...
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Thomas HW, Feldman MP. Banking for the Other Half: The Factors That Explain Banking Desert Formation. Economic Development Quarterly. (2023)
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We’re Not in Dreamland Anymore: The Consequences of Community Opioid Use on Local Industrial Composition.
We estimate the effect of opioid use rates on local economic resilience through changes in industrial composition. We find regional opioid use rates adversely affect firm growth in general, with the greatest impact on small firms. Our results are robust to several identification strategies (Difference...
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Feldman MP. We’re Not in Dreamland Anymore: The Consequences of Community Opioid Use on Local Industrial Composition. Journal of Regional Science (2024)
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Extreme Weather and Employment: Differential Effects Across Race and Ethnicity.
Extreme weather events impose uneven costs across the labor market. We estimate how these events affect employment for workers by race and ethnicity across US counties, using an event study design. We find that Black and Hispanic workers experience larger employment losses following extreme weather...
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Peters V, Sanders M. Extreme Weather and Employment: Differential Effects Across Race and Ethnicity. Available Upon Request.
The Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Nonprofit Survival.
This paper examines how extreme weather events affect the survival of nonprofit organizations.
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Chen X. The Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Nonprofit Survival. Available Upon Request.
Extreme Weather Events Disrupt the Flow of Opioids and OUD Medications
Extreme weather events are becoming more common and have significant health impacts on local residents. Injuries caused by these events may drive demand for pain-relieving medications. In addition, the US remains in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis, with an unprecedented number of Americans...
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Steuart SR. Extreme Weather Events Disrupt the Flow of Opioids and OUD Medications. Available Upon Request.
Local Finance and Economic Resilience During Extreme Weather Events.
The economic costs incurred by extreme weather events are substantial and increasing. In this study, we demonstrate how community banks - a type of financial institution with strong local ties and customer relationships - mitigate these costs at the local level. We use an event...
Recommended citation: Peters V, Langford WS, Sanders M, Feldman MP. Local Finance and Economic Resilience During Extreme Weather Events. SSRN Working Paper #4868821
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Do Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Pay Off? An Empirical Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants have been recognized as an effective way to reduce natural disaster losses. However, most mitigation studies assess the cost-effectiveness of such funding based on projected losses. This study empirically assesses the extent to which grant...
Recommended citation: Chaudhry H, Hines R, Langford WS, Grandage AJ, Waddell M. Do Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Pay Off? An Empirical Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness. Available Upon Request.
Let Us Put Our Moneys Together: Minority-Owned Banks and Resilience to Crises.
Racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately suffer more severe consequences during economic downturns, having heightened vulnerability in employment and credit. We investigate the role of minority-owned banks in mitigating these challenges, focusing on shared borrower-lender identity, and analyzing how these minority-owned banks affect employment through the...
Recommended citation: Langford WS, Roman R, Berger AN, Feldman MP. “Let Us Put Our Moneys Together:” Minority-Owned Banks and Resilience to Crises. SSRN Working Paper #4231594
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Young and Small Firms and Resilience to Extreme Weather Events.
In this paper, we demonstrate that the presence of entrepreneurial organizations, proxied by young and small firms, in an economy increases its resilience to external shocks. We estimate the effect of local young and small firm employment shares on employment growth through extreme weather events...
Recommended citation: Heinzel C, Langford WS, Peters V, Sanders M. Young and Small Firms and Resilience to Extreme Weather Events. Journal of Business Venturing Insights (2025)
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PA Faculty Job Market Report
A recurring analysis of the academic labor market in public administration and public policy, built from a daily census of faculty postings rather than from survey recall. Three editions run off the same database: a monthly Candidate Pulse tracking what is open right now and...
Recommended citation: Langford WS. PA Faculty Job Market Report. Texas State University. Candidate Pulse (monthly), Candidate Annual, and Institutional Annual editions.
talks
The Snowball Effect of Federal Research Funding
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Presented at:
We Miss You George Bailey: The Effect of Local Banking Conditions on the County-Level Timing of the Great Recession
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We’re Not in Dreamland Anymore: How Regional Opioid Use Rates Affect Industrial Composition
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Local Finance and Economic Resilience During Extreme Weather Events
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“Let Us Put Our Moneys Together:” Minority-Owned Banks and Resilience to Crises
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Extreme Weather Events and Mitigation Strategies: County-Level Evidence
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How Entrepreneurship Strengthens Resilience Through Extreme Weather Events
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Extreme Weather and Employment: Differential Effects Across Race and Ethnicity
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Economic Resilience
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Invited talk to the Texas State University student chapter of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), on economic resilience and what local government, local financial institutions, and other community-level capacity contribute to absorbing economic shocks.
teaching
Public Policy (Undergraduate)
Instructor of Record, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2021
Two undergraduate courses taught at UNC Chapel Hill’s Department of Public Policy, 2020–2021.
Comparative Administration
Instructor of Record, Texas State University, 2025
Undergraduate course on comparative public administration systems, governance structures, and administrative reform across countries.
Public Finance Administration
Instructor of Record, Texas State University, 2025
Graduate seminar on public budgeting, revenue systems, debt management, and fiscal policy for MPA students.
Quantitative Methods
Instructor of Record, Texas State University; Arizona State University; UNC Pembroke; West Texas A&M, 2026
Introductory and applied quantitative methods for undergraduate and graduate students in public administration and public policy. Covers research design, descriptive and inferential statistics, regression analysis, and applied data analysis using statistical software.
Public Policy Process
Instructor of Record, Texas State University, 2026
Undergraduate course on how public policy is actually made — agenda setting, legitimation, implementation, budgeting, and evaluation — followed by application to substantive policy areas. Taught online and asynchronously as a writing-intensive course, built around a sequence of brief essays and a policy memo.