Biography

I did my undergraduate work at Bowdoin College, with a joint major in biology and environmental studies. I went on to Johns Hopkins University for my graduate work, with the intention of studying environmental engineering. However, after the first year—one year too many in a lab—I switched to studying systems analysis and economics, while retaining my interest in the environment. My dissertation examined the properties of environmental policy instruments in the presence of firm noncompliance.

My research continues to focus on the design of environmental policy, with forays into other areas of public economics. I have also done quite a bit of work on the management of forest fire risk. A new area of interest is adaptation to climate change, especially in low-income countries. My work in this area is part of a larger research initiative launched with colleagues at the Institute for International Economic Policy.  

I currently serve as an Associate Editor of a new journal, Strategic Behavior and the Environment. From 2005 to 2010, I served as a Co-Editor of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. 

I primarily teach courses in microeconomic theory and environmental and resource economics. In 2002, I received GW's university-wide prize for undergraduate teaching. Over the years, I have lived and traveled in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America.