ABOUT ME
Research
I'm an environmental and natural resource (ENR) economist with two main research interests:
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eliciting people's willingness to pay for nonmarket goods using valuation methods (e.g., stated and revealed preference surveys),
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informing the management of natural resources over time using dynamic bioeconomic models.
I'm particularly interested in integrating the methods to improve combined models of human and natural systems. As a postdoc, I'm using the approach to analyze how the interplay between "personal use" and commercial sockeye salmon fisheries affects the social welfare of Alaskan residents. As a graduate student, I analyzed the optimal management of Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bears, a charismatic species that are currently federally protected.
I've worked on many other ENR applications:
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the damage from the loss of an individual animal in national parks,
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people's willingness to pay to conserve wide-ranging wildlife,
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people's perceptions of the risks from ticks, and how those perceptions lead to self-protection actions against tick exposure and Lyme disease,
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people's willingness to pay for "ugly" agricultural produce,
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the feasibility of rare earth extraction from coal ash.
My natural resource interests stem from an interdisciplinary background: I've received a BS in biology, a BS in economics, an MS in economics, environment and natural resources, and a PhD in economics.
On the side, I've also done some behavioral economics research:
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couple's preferences for spending each other's money,
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vaccine hesitancy among parents in rural settings.
Teaching
I'm passionate about teaching in a way that encourages "deep learning" (Google Ken Bain if you're interested), and I try to incorporate the latest technology in the classroom. I've taught an in-person, topic-based, principles of microeconomics course with over 120 students. I've also designed and taught a couple of online courses, including an introductory economics course for non-economics majors interested in environmental and natural resource applications.
Hobbies
My favorite activities include soccer, cycling, and cross country skiing. I like traveling and exploring new places, especially national parks - I'm hoping to get the chance to visit Katmai soon.