I am a Professor at North Carolina State University and the director of The Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy. I am also the editor of the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy.
My primary field of study is the economics of environmental policy, especially related to land use. One common theme in my work is the interaction among local environmental quality, local real estate markets, and the demographic composition of cities. I use these relationships to understand people’s values for the natural environment and other public goods. For example, whenever people pay more for a house because it is in a cleaner, safer community with good schools, they reveal their values for a clean environment, safety, and education. I also study the history of applied welfare economics and pricing the environment.
My research has been published in such places as the American Economic Review, History of Political Economy, and Journal of Political Economy.