Brian Whitacre
Biographic Data
| ID | 4209012 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Brian Whitacre |
| GIVEN NAMES | Brian |
| FAMILY NAME | Whitacre |
| SIGNATURE | WHITACRE B |
| AFFILIATIONS | Oklahoma State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5083-1828 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 29 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
St Century Economic Development: An update on remote work and household income
This study replicates Gallardo and Whitacre’s (2018) finding that remote work was positively associated with median household income using 2020–2024 American Community Survey data at the Census tract level. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated remote work, with the share of workers primarily based at home rising from 5.2% (pre-pandemic) to 15.1% by 2024. This sharp increase warrants an updated examination of this relationship. Using Ord…
Local News Deserts and Community Social Capital Erosion
The disappearance of local newspapers across the United States has sparked growing concern about its implications for community life in rural America. This study examines the societal consequences of local news deserts, focusing on three critical dimensions of community social capital: crime, civic engagement, and political polarization. Using a difference‐in‐differences framework and a novel panel dataset of U.S. counties from 1990 to 2016, we f…
The role of broadband speed availability in business survival and employment
Promoting Rural Entrepreneurship Through Technology: A Case Study Using Productivity Enhancing Technology Experience Kits (Pete-Kits)
Contribution: Case study of a rural-focused educational program with two components: 1) introducing high school students and teachers to smart and connected technologies (SCTs) that can be used to solve local problems and 2) engaging the local community in supporting local technology-driven entrepreneurship. Background: Rural communities typically lag behind in terms of participation in the digital economy, and use of technology in general. Yet t…
An unexpected digital divide? A look at internet speeds and socioeconomic groups
As societies and economies continue to digitize, the need to understand the digital divide beyond binary availability or adoption metrics is increasing. Understanding the quality and performance of home internet—measured by internet speeds—among different socioeconomic groups contributes to the complex digital equity landscape at a time when all U.S. states and territories are completing digital equity plans. Using 2021 speed test data from Ookla…
Understanding uptake in demand-side broadband subsidy programs: The affordable connectivity program case
The fibre broadband housing premium across three US States
This paper meshes 1.7 million housing transactions across three US states (Iowa, Minnesota and Texas) between 2015 and 2021 with data on broadband infrastructure to evaluate the impact of fibre broadband availability on home prices. This was a period of dramatic fibre growth in these states: prior to 2019, fibre was only available to roughly 24% of the houses sold but rose to 54% in later years. A traditional hedonic pricing model that includes a…
Community sociodemographics and rural hospital survival
PURPOSE: To determine whether community sociodemographic factors are associated with the survival or closure of rural hospitals at risk of financial distress between 2010 and 2019. METHODS: We use a national sample of 985 rural hospitals at risk of financial distress to analyze the relationship between community sociodemographic characteristics and hospital survival or closure. We control for financial distress using the Financial Distress Index …
Do ‘dig once’ and permitting policies improve fiber availability
A preview of the broadband fabric: Opportunities and issues for researchers and policymakers
Do hotspots improve student performance? Evidence from a small-scale randomized controlled trial
Much has been made about the “homework gap” that exists between students who have access to the Internet and those that do not. Policy-makers increasingly recognize the connectivity aspect of this issue but typically fail to acknowledge the importance of computer ownership. We use a small-scale randomized controlled trial (n=18) to test whether the provision of Internet access by itself — or in conjunction with a laptop computer — improves educat…
The impact of Usda’s business and industry loan guarantee program on tax revenue in Oklahoma communities
Many public-sector programs are focused on economic development in rural areas, but few are formally evaluated. One often-overlooked component of effective rural development is the generation of local sales tax revenue, which helps fund city amenities and services. This paper evaluates whether the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Business and Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee program impacted sales tax revenue for recipient Oklahoma c…
Broadband speed and unemployment rates: Data and measurement issues
State broadband policy: Impacts on availability
The digital inclusion role of rural libraries: Social inequalities through space and place
A great deal of scholarship on broadband deployment and federal policies has positioned rural America through a deficit framework: rural parts of the country have older populations (and therefore not tech savvy), are poor (and therefore justifiably ignored by the market), too remote (therefore outside of legitimate profit-making enterprise), and losing population (and therefore significance). This research examines rural Internet connectivity thr…
Broadband's relationship to rural housing values
What Can the National Broadband Map Tell Us About the Health Care Connectivity Gap
PURPOSE: Internet connection speeds are generally slower in rural areas, and this issue is rising in importance for health care facilities as technologies such as Electronic Health Records and Health Information Exchanges become more common. However, the extent of the rural-urban divide in terms of health care connectivity has not been fully quantified. This report uses data compiled from the National Broadband Map (NBM) to compare levels of heal…
Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs and Creative Class Employees?
Efforts to attract entrepreneurs and “creative class” workers have become important components of economic development strategies for rural communities. One commonly held perception is that broadband access is important for these types of employees; however, empirical research on the relationship between the two is generally lacking. This study uses county-level data from the continental U.S. to estimate spatial and first-differenced regression m…
Broadband and civic engagement in rural areas: What matters
This article uses recent data on both broadband and civic engagement to assess how various aspects of broadband access might be related to community involvement in rural areas of the US. In particular, it seeks to answer whether broadband access, adoption, or infrastructure (as measured by community anchor institutions) has the strongest relationship with specific civic engagement metrics. The data include 19 specific civic engagement metrics fro…
Electronic Medical Record Adoption in Oklahoma Practices: Rural‐Urban Differences and the Role of Broadband Availability
PURPOSE: Most recent research has not found significant differences in electronic medical record (EMR) adoption rates between rural and urban physicians. However, few studies have assessed rural/urban differences at a lower level--for instance, by specialty or size of practice. Determinants of EMR adoption by physician practices in Oklahoma are explored, including the potential role of broadband availability (which is required for EMR interoperab…
Public libraries and residential broadband adoption: Do more computers lead to higher rates
How much does broadband infrastructure matter? Decomposing the metro–non-metro adoption gap with the help of the National Broadband Map
Broadband׳s contribution to economic growth in rural areas: Moving towards a causal relationship
Critical Access Hospitals and Retail Activity: An Empirical Analysis in Oklahoma
PURPOSE: This paper takes an empirical approach to determining the effect that a critical access hospital (CAH) has on local retail activity. Previous research on the relationship between hospitals and economic development has primarily focused on single-case, multiplier-oriented analysis. However, as the efficacy of federal and state-level rural health subsidies come under increasing scrutiny, more comprehensive investigations can provide suppor…
The Diffusion of Internet Technologies to Rural Communities: A Portrait of Broadband Supply and Demand
Rural communities suffer from supply- and demand-side disadvantages when dealing with Internet access. Telecommunications companies are less likely to provide such communities with needed infrastructure because of their lower population densities; these communities also tend to have lower levels of factors known to influence the access decision, such as education and income.This study looks at the broadband Internet setting in Oklahoma over a 3-y…
How much does broadband infrastructure matter? Decomposing the metro–non-metro adoption gap with the help of the National Broadband Map
Broadband and civic engagement in rural areas: What matters
This article uses recent data on both broadband and civic engagement to assess how various aspects of broadband access might be related to community involvement in rural areas of the US. In particular, it seeks to answer whether broadband access, adoption, or infrastructure (as measured by community anchor institutions) has the strongest relationship with specific civic engagement metrics. The data include 19 specific civic engagement metrics fro…
Broadband's relationship to rural housing values
The fibre broadband housing premium across three US States
This paper meshes 1.7 million housing transactions across three US states (Iowa, Minnesota and Texas) between 2015 and 2021 with data on broadband infrastructure to evaluate the impact of fibre broadband availability on home prices. This was a period of dramatic fibre growth in these states: prior to 2019, fibre was only available to roughly 24% of the houses sold but rose to 54% in later years. A traditional hedonic pricing model that includes a…
The impact of Usda’s business and industry loan guarantee program on tax revenue in Oklahoma communities
Many public-sector programs are focused on economic development in rural areas, but few are formally evaluated. One often-overlooked component of effective rural development is the generation of local sales tax revenue, which helps fund city amenities and services. This paper evaluates whether the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Business and Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee program impacted sales tax revenue for recipient Oklahoma c…
Public libraries and residential broadband adoption: Do more computers lead to higher rates
The Diffusion of Internet Technologies to Rural Communities: A Portrait of Broadband Supply and Demand
Rural communities suffer from supply- and demand-side disadvantages when dealing with Internet access. Telecommunications companies are less likely to provide such communities with needed infrastructure because of their lower population densities; these communities also tend to have lower levels of factors known to influence the access decision, such as education and income.This study looks at the broadband Internet setting in Oklahoma over a 3-y…
A Community Perspective on Quantifying the Economic Impact of Teleradiology and Telepsychiatry
The Diffusion of Internet Technologies to Rural Communities: A Portrait of Broadband Supply and Demand
Rural communities suffer from supply- and demand-side disadvantages when dealing with Internet access. Telecommunications companies are less likely to provide such communities with needed infrastructure because of their lower population densities; these communities also tend to have lower levels of factors known to influence the access decision, such as education and income.This study looks at the broadband Internet setting in Oklahoma over a 3-y…
Critical Access Hospitals and Retail Activity: An Empirical Analysis in Oklahoma
PURPOSE: This paper takes an empirical approach to determining the effect that a critical access hospital (CAH) has on local retail activity. Previous research on the relationship between hospitals and economic development has primarily focused on single-case, multiplier-oriented analysis. However, as the efficacy of federal and state-level rural health subsidies come under increasing scrutiny, more comprehensive investigations can provide suppor…
Broadband׳s contribution to economic growth in rural areas: Moving towards a causal relationship
Electronic Medical Record Adoption in Oklahoma Practices: Rural‐Urban Differences and the Role of Broadband Availability
PURPOSE: Most recent research has not found significant differences in electronic medical record (EMR) adoption rates between rural and urban physicians. However, few studies have assessed rural/urban differences at a lower level--for instance, by specialty or size of practice. Determinants of EMR adoption by physician practices in Oklahoma are explored, including the potential role of broadband availability (which is required for EMR interoperab…
Public libraries and residential broadband adoption: Do more computers lead to higher rates
How much does broadband infrastructure matter? Decomposing the metro–non-metro adoption gap with the help of the National Broadband Map
Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs and Creative Class Employees?
Efforts to attract entrepreneurs and “creative class” workers have become important components of economic development strategies for rural communities. One commonly held perception is that broadband access is important for these types of employees; however, empirical research on the relationship between the two is generally lacking. This study uses county-level data from the continental U.S. to estimate spatial and first-differenced regression m…
Broadband and civic engagement in rural areas: What matters
This article uses recent data on both broadband and civic engagement to assess how various aspects of broadband access might be related to community involvement in rural areas of the US. In particular, it seeks to answer whether broadband access, adoption, or infrastructure (as measured by community anchor institutions) has the strongest relationship with specific civic engagement metrics. The data include 19 specific civic engagement metrics fro…
What Can the National Broadband Map Tell Us About the Health Care Connectivity Gap
PURPOSE: Internet connection speeds are generally slower in rural areas, and this issue is rising in importance for health care facilities as technologies such as Electronic Health Records and Health Information Exchanges become more common. However, the extent of the rural-urban divide in terms of health care connectivity has not been fully quantified. This report uses data compiled from the National Broadband Map (NBM) to compare levels of heal…
Broadband's relationship to rural housing values
Broadband speed and unemployment rates: Data and measurement issues
State broadband policy: Impacts on availability
The digital inclusion role of rural libraries: Social inequalities through space and place
A great deal of scholarship on broadband deployment and federal policies has positioned rural America through a deficit framework: rural parts of the country have older populations (and therefore not tech savvy), are poor (and therefore justifiably ignored by the market), too remote (therefore outside of legitimate profit-making enterprise), and losing population (and therefore significance). This research examines rural Internet connectivity thr…
Do hotspots improve student performance? Evidence from a small-scale randomized controlled trial
Much has been made about the “homework gap” that exists between students who have access to the Internet and those that do not. Policy-makers increasingly recognize the connectivity aspect of this issue but typically fail to acknowledge the importance of computer ownership. We use a small-scale randomized controlled trial (n=18) to test whether the provision of Internet access by itself — or in conjunction with a laptop computer — improves educat…
The impact of Usda’s business and industry loan guarantee program on tax revenue in Oklahoma communities
Many public-sector programs are focused on economic development in rural areas, but few are formally evaluated. One often-overlooked component of effective rural development is the generation of local sales tax revenue, which helps fund city amenities and services. This paper evaluates whether the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Business and Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee program impacted sales tax revenue for recipient Oklahoma c…
Do ‘dig once’ and permitting policies improve fiber availability
A preview of the broadband fabric: Opportunities and issues for researchers and policymakers
Community sociodemographics and rural hospital survival
PURPOSE: To determine whether community sociodemographic factors are associated with the survival or closure of rural hospitals at risk of financial distress between 2010 and 2019. METHODS: We use a national sample of 985 rural hospitals at risk of financial distress to analyze the relationship between community sociodemographic characteristics and hospital survival or closure. We control for financial distress using the Financial Distress Index …
An unexpected digital divide? A look at internet speeds and socioeconomic groups
As societies and economies continue to digitize, the need to understand the digital divide beyond binary availability or adoption metrics is increasing. Understanding the quality and performance of home internet—measured by internet speeds—among different socioeconomic groups contributes to the complex digital equity landscape at a time when all U.S. states and territories are completing digital equity plans. Using 2021 speed test data from Ookla…
Understanding uptake in demand-side broadband subsidy programs: The affordable connectivity program case
The fibre broadband housing premium across three US States
This paper meshes 1.7 million housing transactions across three US states (Iowa, Minnesota and Texas) between 2015 and 2021 with data on broadband infrastructure to evaluate the impact of fibre broadband availability on home prices. This was a period of dramatic fibre growth in these states: prior to 2019, fibre was only available to roughly 24% of the houses sold but rose to 54% in later years. A traditional hedonic pricing model that includes a…
Promoting Rural Entrepreneurship Through Technology: A Case Study Using Productivity Enhancing Technology Experience Kits (Pete-Kits)
Contribution: Case study of a rural-focused educational program with two components: 1) introducing high school students and teachers to smart and connected technologies (SCTs) that can be used to solve local problems and 2) engaging the local community in supporting local technology-driven entrepreneurship. Background: Rural communities typically lag behind in terms of participation in the digital economy, and use of technology in general. Yet t…
St Century Economic Development: An update on remote work and household income
This study replicates Gallardo and Whitacre’s (2018) finding that remote work was positively associated with median household income using 2020–2024 American Community Survey data at the Census tract level. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated remote work, with the share of workers primarily based at home rising from 5.2% (pre-pandemic) to 15.1% by 2024. This sharp increase warrants an updated examination of this relationship. Using Ord…
Local News Deserts and Community Social Capital Erosion
The disappearance of local newspapers across the United States has sparked growing concern about its implications for community life in rural America. This study examines the societal consequences of local news deserts, focusing on three critical dimensions of community social capital: crime, civic engagement, and political polarization. Using a difference‐in‐differences framework and a novel panel dataset of U.S. counties from 1990 to 2016, we f…
Business (19 works) · ICT Impact and Policies (17 works) · Broadband (15 works) · Computer Science (15 works) · Economics (14 works) · Telecommunications (13 works) · Economic growth (10 works) · Political science (10 works) · The Internet (10 works) · Internet access (9 works)