David Swenson

I am a community economics research and education specialist. My work centers on regional and statewide economic analysis, technical assistance, and projects that support University-sponsored efforts in community development and in providing community economics education services to the public.

My research and service categories include regional industrial studies and evaluations, economic development research and technical assistance, input-output (economic impact) studies, benefit-cost analysis, fiscal impact research, public finance and tax policy analysis, and community change and worker mobility dynamics.

One of my major roles is to provide educational and technical assistance, presentations, and workshops to community groups, governments and organizations seeking to learn about Iowa’s economy, the changes it has undergone, and the consequences of economic change for regions, communities, and households.

I study a wide range of Iowa-specific topics to include the economic contribution of biofuels production to Iowa’s economy, the regional economic consequences of advanced biofuels production, local foods assessments, wind and solar industry economic impacts, industrial and occupational change, and the demographic and economic consequences of rural transformation in Iowa and the Midwest.

I have worked at ISU since 1989, and before that I worked at the University of Iowa from 1981 to 1989. I am a South Dakota native, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and I’m known to run very long distances for no good reason.