The former director of the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Paul Polzin, recently received a national award from the Association for University Business and Economic Research.

Present director Patrick Barkey said the award has only been conferred upon a select few.

"It has only been granted four times in the organization's 64 year history," Barkey said. "It's called the Thayne-Robson Award, and it was given to him because of his lifetime contributions not only to economic research and regional forecasting, but also for his leadership and mentoring role in dealing with his colleagues and growing so many future directors that are now in jobs that he once held."

Barkey said the University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research is over 60 years old, and has only had three directors in that time, and Polzin was the director for 20 years.

"Paul Polzin came to the University of Montana in 1988, and served as director until 2008," he said. "Not only is he a very talented and capable economist and forecaster, but he also has many words of wisdom to dispense in any number of settings.He's the master of setting up public events, and I've been really fortunate to follow his example."

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UM is a research center producing economic and industry data for Montana.

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