Professor Receives Award for Contributions to the Field of Regional Science
Toronto, January 19, 2010 –A professor of real estate and urban economics at the Rotman School of Management has received Walter Isard Award for Scholarly Achievement from the North American Regional Science Council. William Strange is the RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust Professor of Real Estate and Urban Economics, who joined the Rotman School from the University of British Columbia in 2001.
This award is named in honor of Professor Walter Isard, the primary founder of the field of Regional Science. Established in 1994, the award pays tribute to regional scientists who have made significant theoretical and methodological contributions to the field of Regional Science throughout their careers. The award was presented to him at the Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association, which were held in November in San Francisco.
Prof. Strange's research and teaching concern urban economics and real estate. He has published articles on a wide range of topics. Some have dealt with agglomeration, the concentration of population in cities and of firms in industry clusters like the Silicon Valley. Other research has analyzed private government, collective institutions that combine the features of the traditional private and public sectors like community associations, business improvement districts, private schools, and gated communities. Prof. Strange also has carried out research on a number of issues pertinent to real estate investment, many on the general topic of investment under uncertainty. Some of his recent papers have concerned entrepreneurship, including the geography of female entrepreneurship. Other recent research has dealt with urban labor market issues, including labor supply and the importance for cities of skills in general and soft skills in particular. He currently serves as Co-Editor (with Stuart Rosenthal) of Journal of Urban Economics and as First Vice President of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. He has received numerous awards for his teaching in the Rotman School’s MBA program.
The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world’s most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca. Ken McGuffin
Manager, Media Relations
Rotman School of Management
Voice: (416) 946-3818
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca