Information for Visitors
to the
Department of Economics
WVU
Morgantown WV
WVU B&E Blg
 Center for Study of 
Constitutional Political Economy

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Department of Economics
WVU
  Public Choice Society   /  Other Public Choice Links
Visiting the Economics Department
 Arrival and Getting Settled
 Activities at and around WVU
The department of economics provides a visiting scholar program, designed to support persons  undertaking research on the political economy of public policy, the theory of markets, and classical liberalism.  We have space available for two or three visiting scholars each semester.

A bit of support is normally available to help defray some of the costs of visits. One post-doctoral position is available, the Madison Fellowship.

Visitors normally apply by e-mailing the director of visitor programs (Professor Roger D. Congleton) about their proposed visit and their plans for research and study. Visitors are expected to participate in department programs (chiefly weekly seminars) and to work more or less regular hours. A short report on publications and other progress during the visit should be turned in before returning home.
Past Visitors
 The Economics Department is located on the fourth floor of the Business and Economics Building, which is located in the downtown campus on University Avenue. The B&E building is built into the side of a hill, so visitors are pleasantly surprised to find that the  fourth floor is actually the floor that they enter first.

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Most visitor's drive to Morgantown and there are several ways to reach the department by car, although parking is very limited on campus. Temporary parking is usually available in the parking garage behind the Mountaineer Lair (the student union). Alternatively, one may park in the "old town" to the south of campus and walk to the Business and Economics building.

The old town center is very walkable with many shops and restaurants, especially along High Street. However, the town is a bit difficult to drive through with many one-way streets, stoplights, and hills. 
Academic
Department Seminars
Seminars (etc.) around Campus
WVU Libraries / Morgantown Library /
Federal Document Depositories in West Virginia
Pittsburgh / Cato / Mercatus / Brookings

Culture
   
The department sponsors a seminar series on Friday afternoons. Other seminars of interest are sponsored by other departments around campus. A visitor's luncheon is normally organized on Fridays.
    A good deal of academic conversation and research also takes place in the hallways and faculty offices, and over lunches at local restaurants, especially the local "brew pub." Visitors are also able to attend the Wednesday Economics Book Club and class lectures--with permission.

Morgantown is a large town located on the Monongahela River, a few miles south of the Pennsylvania border and about 75 miles from Pittsburgh. It is located in a very hilly part of the US and a relatively poor one, but with an interesting history and much scenic beauty. The river connection to Pittsburgh helped to make Morgantown a significant center of commerce and manufacturing during the 19th and early 20th centuries. After WWII, the local economy shifted in the direction of educational, retail, and medical services; and the University gradually became the hub about which much of the region's economy turns.

   
 
Upon arrival, visitors from the United States and short-term visitors from other countries should "check in" with Roger Congleton (B&E 405) or Cliff Hawley at the economic department's office, who will help with the WVU paperwork.

Long-term visitors from other countries must obtain a J-1 visa before departing for the United States, and must report to the university's Office of International Students and Scholars shortly after arrival.

Rental housing in the area around campus is available from local real estate agencies, apartment complexes, Craigslist, and occasionally sabbatical.com. Short-term hotel options are listed on a university website. Because parking is limited, it is a good idea to locate within walking distance of the downtown campus, if possible. (The Hotel Morgan is within walking distance of the department. Head north up High Street and turn left at Willey Street to a right onto University Ave.)

Home telephone and Internet services are available from Comcast. West Virginia driver's licenses and car registrations are obtained from Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Some other nearby places of interest:

Homes: Kentuck Knob / Falling Water
Millionaires Row (Historical District)
Frank Lloyd Wright in PA

Nature:  Great Allegheny Passage / C&O Canal
Cheat Lake / Fairfax Stone / New River Gorge
  Valley Falls / Cannon Valley
Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks

Life in Town:
Regional Restaurants of Note / Jay's Daily Grind
A Slight Indulgence / "the Brew Pub"
New Day Bakery /  Morgantown Coop / Vineyard
Morgantown Mall  / Barnes and Nobles

University Hospital / Morgantown Hospital
Bus Service / to Pittsburgh / the PRT
Morgantown Airport / Pittsburgh Airport

Other helpful websites for touring: West Virginia / Virginia /  Maryland / Washington / Pennsylvania / Ohio