麻豆传媒

George W. Hammond directs the Economic and Business Research Center in the Eller College of Management.
A specialist in econometric forecasting for more than two decades, Hammond has designed, built and used economic models to produce more than 100 forecasts for state and local economies and completed more than 50 regional economic studies on topics including economic and workforce development, energy forecasting and the impact of higher education on human capital accumulation. In addition to directing EBRC and spearheading EBRC鈥檚 Forecasting Project, Hammond is also a research professor with academic research interests focusing on the determinants of local economic growth in the U.S., the impact of state and local policies on economic growth and the contribution of higher education to local workforce development.

Nicole Gislason is the Executive Director of the University of West Florida Haas Center, part of UWF's Division of Academic Affairs. The center鈥檚 team supports communities with market research, workforce development and industrial innovation. The Haas Center鈥檚 information products and services are designed to inform strategic decision-making processes, enhance operational effectiveness, and improve the tactical performance of the region鈥檚 workforce. Gislason鈥檚 overall goal is to accelerate technology adoption, talent development, and business growth in an effort to enhance the region鈥檚 competitiveness. Her primary aptitude in higher education is an ability to communicate effectively with educators, business leaders, and government officials. This allows her to connect people who have common needs but different missions.

Gislason has been the principal investigator on numerous UWF research projects. She is the Vice Chair, of Florida鈥檚 Great Northwest and a Trustee with the Florida Chamber Foundation. She serves on the board of the Northwest Florida Manufacturers鈥� Council, and she is a member of the Rotary Club of Pensacola and Pensacola IMPACT 100. Her previous work includes a public-private partnership between Florida鈥檚 manufacturing sector, the State, and the National Institute for Standards and Technology鈥檚 (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). The MEP National Network, which operates in all 50 states, partners with organizations like the Haas Center to increase the productivity and technological performance of the region鈥檚 manufacturing firms. In just 21 months of regional operations with FloridaMakes/NIST, UWF achieved $118.2M in economic impact. Gislason's early grant experience includes a Department of Labor $3.9M award that enabled UWF to recruit, train and develop the IT workforce in a project known as Florida HireEd.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of West Florida鈥檚 College of Business. She has completed numerous executive education programs including two certificates in Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production from MIT. 

Gislason鈥檚 talented team of professionals and students operates a unique additive manufacturing laboratory, known as Sea3D. Housing state-of-the-art additive manufacturing equipment, the Sea3D lab provides a space for students, industry partners and community members to collaborate on the creation and printing of 3-D products. The business students and research staff work inside Pensacola's oldest schoolhouse at 212 Church Street.  

As Chief Executive Officer at MedCerts, Craig Sprinkle leads the organization in bridging the gap between our students, employers, and higher education institutions through online certification training. He joined MedCerts in 2018 in the combined role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and served as Chief Financial Officer since 2020 until his appointment as CEO in November 2022.

In his time at MedCerts, Sprinkle has overseen more than a 4x increase in enrollments and revenue while also expanding margins and overall profitability, expansion of the training catalog to include over 50 programs, and heightened focus on critical student outcomes. He also guided MedCerts to consistent placement on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies prior to its acquisition by Stride Inc.

Sprinkle earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance, with a Corporate Financial Management concentration, from Ball State University. Prior to MedCerts, Sprinkle served several successful ventures as CFO and has over 20 years of business experience. In 2012, he was named 鈥淐FO of the Year鈥� by Crain鈥檚 Detroit Business.