Executive Director Internships & Co-Ops

Barbara Blake

757-683-4834

1005 WEBB CENTER
NORFOLK, 23529

With over 20 years of experience in economic research, education, and leadership, Dr. Barbara Blake is the Executive Director of the Â鶹´«Ã½ Office of Monarch Internships and Co-Ops at Â鶹´«Ã½. She oversees all aspects of this new Presidential initiative which aims to create high-impact work-based programs that connect Â鶹´«Ã½ students with employers and prepare them for the changing world of work.

Dr. Blake holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business from High Point University, a Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Leeds, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. She is a recognized expert in regional economic analysis, workforce reintegration, wage and leadership gaps, and urbanization. Dr. Blake is also a Senior Research Fellow with The Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy where she has published and presented extensively on these topics and has been a contributing author to the influential State of the Region and State of the Commonwealth reports since 2015. She is also a certified LMI Economic Analyst, Quality Matters Master Peer Reviewer, and an RACC Certified Research Administrator. She is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry and empowering students to achieve their academic and career goals. Dr. Blake has appeared in the Virginian Pilot, Virginia Business, WAVY-TV, Daily Press, and the WY-Daily as well as television and radio in the Hampton Roads area. Her national media includes Inside Higher Education, Yahoo Finance, and Reuters.

Economic Development Advanced Applied Analyst
Sponsoring Organization: C2ER, The Council for Community and Economic Research
Date Obtained: 2018-06-01
Faculty Fellow -Technology Instruction
Sponsoring Organization: Microsoft (College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia)
Date Obtained: 2015-01-01
Certified Research Administrator® (CRA)
Sponsoring Organization: Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC)
Date Obtained: 2018-12-01

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

McNab, R. "Improving Access to Broadband for Rural Communities Through 5G Investments. Commercial. July 1, 2018 - 2019
McNab, R. "- ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS OF VIRGINIA ISRAEL ADVISORY BOARD. Private. January 1, 2019 -

Expertise

Economics
Economics of Social Issues and Public Policy
Higher Education
Administration and Leadership
Research
Research Design

Research Interests

Her research interests include the Economics of Social Issues (including Opioids), the Women's Leadership Gap and the future of Higher Education. Dr. Blake Gonzalez has presented her research at Harvard University, the UK Ministry of Defence in Shrivenham, England and NARSC. Recent publications in 2020 -2022 Opioids include The Drug Overdose Epidemic Seen through Different Lenses, Drug-overdose death rates: the economic misery explanation and its alternatives and Why Has the Median Real Income of Lawyers Been Declining?

Articles

Koch, J. V. and Blake Gonzalez, B. USING THE LSAT AS A LABOR MARKET THERMOMETER. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology (2022).
Koch, J. V. and Blake Gonzalez, B. (2022). Why Has the Median Real Income of Lawyers Been Declining?. Journal of Economics and Finance.
Blake Gonzalez, B., Koch, J. V. and Cebula, R. (2021). The Drug Overdose Epidemic Seen through Different Lenses. Health Science Journal.
Blake Gonzalez, B., Koch, J. V. and Cebula, R. (2020). Drug-overdose death rates: the economic misery explanation and its alternatives. Applied Economics 53 (53(6408)) , pp. 1-12.
Blake Gonzalez, B. (2008). Academic Libraries Should Strategic Planning be Renewed?. Technical Services Quarterly, Taylor & Francis 24 , pp. 1-14.

Book Chapters

McNab, R. and Blake Gonzalez, B. (2021). Let It Ride: Casinos, Online Betting and the Future of Gambling in Virginia. The State of the Commonwealth Report Norfolk, Virginia: Â鶹´«Ã½.
McNab, R. and Blake Gonzalez, B. (2021). All In: Casinos, Online Betting and the Future of Gambling in Hampton Roads State of the Region Norfolk, Virginia: Â鶹´«Ã½.
Koch, J. V. and Blake Gonzalez, B. (2020). Virginia’s Opioid Epidemic Continues and COVID-19 May Be Making It Worse 2020 State of the Commonwealth Report (pp. 120-137) Norfolk, Virginia: Â鶹´«Ã½.
Blake Gonzalez, B. and McNab, R. (2018). Welcome to your new home: International migration and Hampton Roads The 2018 State of the Region Report (pp. 123-146) Norfolk, Virginia:.
Blake Gonzalez, B. and Koch, J. V. (2017). Do We Suffer from Brain Drain in Hampton Roads? 2017 State of the Region Report (pp. 152-176) Norfolk, Virginia:.
Koch, J. V. and Blake Gonzalez, B. (2016). The Rise Of Single-Earner Households In Virginia: Why It Matters 2016 State of the Commonwealth Report (pp. 128-151) Norfolk, Virginia:.
Koch, J. V. and Blake Gonzalez, B. (2015). Domestic Migration: What Moves Us? The 2015 State of the Commonwealth Report (pp. 158-178) Norfolk, Virginia:.

Presentations

Blake Gonzalez, B. and Sharak, R. (June 10, 2021). A Snapshot in Resiliency and Response: Norfolk, Virginia Oral Presentation 61st Annual C2ER Conference/LMI Institute Annual Forum Virtual.
Blake Gonzalez, B. (May 13, 2021). Minimum Wage: Policy Complications Lecture CIVIC May Day Online.
Blake Gonzalez, B. (February 24, 2021). VIRGINIA’S OPIOID EPIDEMIC CONTINUES Oral Presentation 2020 State of the Commonwealth Presentation Virtual .
Blake Gonzalez, B. (November 19, 2019). The Opioid Crisis and Public Medical Care Benefits in Virginia Oral Presentation 66th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International Pittsburgh, PA.
Blake Gonzalez, B. (October 8, 2019). Mind the Gap: Women’s Leadership in Hampton Roads Keynote/Plenary Address 2019 State of the Region Report Address Norfolk, Virginia.
Blake Gonzalez, B., McNab, R. and Herring, M. (September , 2019). Opioids in the Workplace Lecture Hampton Roads Opioid Working Group Norfolk, Virginia.
Blake Gonzalez, B. and McNab, R. (June 6, 2019). Opioids in Virginia Lecture Reintegration into the Workforce: Bringing in Labor off the Sidelines, C2ER 59th Annual Conference St. Louis, MO.
  • 2023: J. Worth Pickering Administrator of the Year Award, Association of University Administrators
  • 2022: 2022 Women in Business Honoree , Inside Business, Virginia Media
  • 2018: Faculty Administrator of the Year, Strome College of Business
  • 2017: Employee of the Month, Â鶹´«Ã½