About Us

Hibbs Institute for Business & Economic Research

The Hibbs Institute for Business and Economic Research is a unit of the Soules College of Business at the University of Texas at Tyler. The Institute plays a vital role in supporting the mission of the university in becoming an economic driver of East Texas by providing economic research and analysis.  

Mission 

The Hibbs Institute assists businesses, regional economic development councils, nonprofits, and local governments expand business activity in greater East Texas.  The Institute develops and disseminates economic research for and about the greater East Texas Region. Research developed by the Institute aids companies and investors considering locating, expanding, or investing in East Texas. Our goal is to provide business and economic data to facilitate better decision making by East Texas entities. 

Vision

The Hibbs Institute will be the primary data repository of key social economic indicators for East Texas and a key source of economic and business research and analysis in the region.

Staff

The Hibbs Institute is comprised of an experienced team including staff and faculty fellows. A team of highly skilled, multidisciplinary professionals that work collaboratively to provide  suitable data, applicable research, and relevant analysis that businesses and government agencies need to make well-informed decisions.  

Manuel Reyes-Loya, D.E.D.
Acting Director and Senior Research Analyst                
903.565.5952  
mreyes@uttyler.edu

 

Cecilia Cuellar, Ph.D.
Junior Research Analyst                
903.565.5739   
ccuellartapia@uttyler.edu

 

Research Fellows

Marilyn Young, Ph.D.
Professor of Management at UT Tyler.

Kim Nimon, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Resource Development at UT Tyler.

Barbara Wooldridge, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing at UT Tyler.

 

Advisory Board

Billy Hibbs, Jr.
Tyler, TX
Chairman/Owner, Heartland Security Insurance Group, Inc.

Rod Mabry, Ph.D.
Tyler, TX 
Principal, Mabry Economics, LLC.

Wayne Mansfield
Longview, TX
President/CEO, Longview Economic Development Corporation

Tom Mullins
Tyler, TX
President/CEO, T.G. Mullins Consulting L.L.C.

Scott Martinez
Tyler, TX
President/CEO, Tyler Economic Development Corp., and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce

Ray Perryman, Ph.D.
Waco, TX
President/CEO, Ray Perryman Group, Inc. (economic research center)

Manuel Reyes, D.E.D.
ex officio
Senior Research Analyst, Hibbs Institute

Rob Carpenter, Ph.D.
Tyler, TX 
Advanta Toxicology, LLC.