A drive to advance knowledge in economic innovation keeps Agostino Menna busy with several projects at Niagara Research.

The economics and entrepreneurship professor is currently undertaking multiple projects with Niagara College, all at different stages of development.

Menna’s project in the furthest stages of completion is a look at how Ontario’s colleges and universities contribute to quality-of-life and standards of living in Ontario.

The quantitative study uses a model that Menna developed for his dissertation, a conceptual-planning model studying how senior-level managers at post-secondary institutions believe their decisions impact the greater community on issues including employment, the environment and industry growth, taking into consideration both economic and social benefits.

Menna’s second project is taking both a quantitative and qualitative look at Ontario’s microbrewing industry and how it contributes to the province’s overall economy. Part of the study will include interviewing all of the microbreweries in the province.

A student will also brought on hand to help with data collection. Menna’s third project is still in the early stages and it will be a quantitative look at student-debt in Ontario.

The study will examine student debt levels in comparison to what he calls the “jobs-education gap” in the province. He is still developing the study model for the project.

Menna has taught at Niagara College since 2003. His classes include entrepreneurship, micro and macroeconomics, operations management and supply chain management, and his research interests include the economics of education, education policy related to economics and social indicators, research theory and methodology, the knowledge economy, economic policy and entrepreneurship and innovation.