Interpreting Economic Change: A GSBLSU Favorite Class
There are those who are good in their careers, and there are those who are great. At the Graduate
School of Banking at LSU, we strive to impart greatness to each and every student over their three-year
course of study. We give them the tools they need, the ability to practice application of these tools, and
a foundation of knowledge to help them grow into the very best within their field. This is precisely why
we bring together the brightest and most accomplished industry experts to lead courses such as
Interpreting Economic Change.
About our Interpreting Economic Change Class
Predicting trends is important no matter the industry, but it is especially critical for bankers. The ability
to foresee economic change based on past trends and data is hugely important to protecting the
interests of both financial institutions and their consumers. In Interpreting Economic Change, students
learn about the most reliable predictive factors of major economic change such as an impending
recession. They objectively observe what the current state of the economy is and where it may be
headed based on factors such as:
Leading Economic Indicators (LEI)
Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)
Consumer confidence
Housing market
Factory Utlization
Unemployment
Oil Prices
About Dr. David Kohl and Dr. Thomas Payne
When it comes to guiding students in the art of interpreting economic change, there are few as well-
equipped as Dr. Kohl and Dr. Payne. With extensive educational and professional backgrounds, both
professors bring years of first-hand experience and observation to the table.
Dr. David Kohl instructed over 10,000 students in his tenure with Virginia Tech. From 1978 to 2003, he
taught courses on small business management and entrepreneurship. Even today, he leads an average
of 140 talks a year on such topics. He has over 1,500 articles published in academic journals and has
been honored with numerous awards.
Dr. Thomas Paynecurrently serves as the Dean of the College of Business at Tennessee Tech University.
Previously, he as the University of Tennessee at Martin Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking, as well
as the chair of UTM department of Accounting, Finance, Economics, and Political Science. He has
contributed to the development of multiple nationally ranked academic and professional programs and
has previously instructed abroad at the University of Orleans in France.
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