Susan Christopherson is J. Thomas Clark Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. She is an economic geographer  (PhD U.C. Berkeley) whose research focuses on economic policy and economic development. Her work in the field of economic development has focused on strategies for revitalising the New York State economy. In the past five years, she has completed policy studies on economic development via targeted workforce development; a clusters strategy to build the photonics industry;  the role of universities and colleges in revitalising regional economies; and production trends affecting media industries in New York City. She is an expert on the film and television industries and particularly on work and the workforce in those industries. She has served as a consultant to the OECD Working Party on the Role of Women in the Economy. In the field of media services, she has examined the implications of media globalisation and trade policy in China and Jordan for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Her current projects include studies of phoenix industries in resilient regions, entrepreneurship in creative industries and environmental sustainability in local communities. She has participated in the OECD reviews of higher education in regional and city development in Catalonia (Spain), Lombardy (Italy) and Paso del Norte (United States of America and Mexico).