Gavin Clarkson
Assistant Professor, School of Information, University of Michigan
Dr. Gavin Clarkson (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information. Dr. Clarkson also holds simultaneous appointments at the Law School and in Native American Studies and conducts research on tribal economic development, including tribal access to capital markets and the determinants of success for tribal entrepreneurship. Dr. Clarkson is the Principal Investigator on the NSF-funded Tribal Finance Information Clearinghouse. Dr. Clarkson has also consulted, written, and published extensively on tribal sovereignty, tribal governance and court systems, tribal economic development, and tribal asset management, and has conducted extensive research on the empirical data underlying the American Indian mascot controversy. Dr. Clarkson holds the Series 7, Series 24, and Series 66 Securities licenses from the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). He currently sits on Native American Capital's Board of Directors.
Graduate Researchers
Archer L. Batcheller
PhD Student, School of Information, University of Michigan
Mr. Batcheller's research focuses on economic development in poor regions, and he has academic and professional experience in computer science.
Trond E. Jacobsen
PhD Student, School of Information, University of Michigan
Mr. Jacobsen's work centers on the ways archives structure the interactions of tribal and non-tribal populations. He has worked as a professional researcher, political consultant, law librarian, and college policy debate coach.
Braden McCurrach
JD Candidate, University of Michigan Law School
Mr. McCurrach (Chickasaw Nation) has conducted research in many areas of Native American law including tribal-state compacting, Indian gaming and the compensation of traditional knowledge. Most recently, Mr. McCurrach assisted Dr. Gavin Clarkson on research examining regulatory barriers to the issuance of tribal tax-exempt debt.
James C. D. Wahls
JD Candidate, University of Michigan Law School
Mr. Wahls has conducted extensive research on tribal gaming, the Indian Reorganization Act, and tribal and municipal securities. Mr. Wahls was named a finalist in the 2006 American Indian Law Review Writing Competition, submitting a note that examined the potential ramifications of the current form of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Mr. Wahls's areas of interest include public finance, urban development, tribal economic development, and governmental affairs.