A University of Montana director recently received the most prestigious award from a national association of regional economic research centers.

Patrick Barkey, director of UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, received the Thayne Robson Award from the Association for University Business and Economic Research (AUBER). The award is the highest honor that AUBER awards to an individual for longtime commitment and service to the organization. Award winners must be economic and public policy leaders in their state.

Barkey is the past president of AUBER, has served as Secretary-Treasurer for more than a decade and has been a member of the organization’s board of directors.  “I am humbled to receive this honor, especially considering the outstanding AUBER leaders who have preceded me,” Barkey said.

“No one has been a stronger advocate of AUBER than Pat,” according to John Deskins, AUBER’s president and director of West Virginia’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. “He has devoted years to working to make the community stronger, and we owe him so much for his dedicated service. He is a great asset to applied economics research centers nationwide.”