Robert B. Richardson, PhD

Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies (CARRS)
Michigan State University

Biographical sketch: Robby Richardson is an assistant professor at Michigan State University. He has been a member of ISEE and USSEE since 2000, when he was active in stimulating graduate student participation in conferences and organizational affairs. He has served on the Education Committee of ISEE, and worked to identify, document, and categorize higher education programs in ecological economics. He holds a PhD in agricultural and resource economics from Colorado State University as well as MBA (New York University) and BS degrees (Tulane University) in finance. His academic interests focus broadly on the sustainable use of natural resources and their contribution to livelihoods and economic development, particularly in the areas of tourism, recreation, and subsistence uses of natural resources. He studies threats to the sustainable uses of natural resources, including the impacts of climate change, the effects of poverty, and the exclusion of non-market values in policy decisions. His published work appears in Ecological Economics as well as in the Review of Regional Studies and the Journal of Leisure Research, and he serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for numerous journals. Prior to joining the faculty of Michigan State University, he held academic positions at Galen University in Belize , the Centre for Rainforest Studies in Australia, and the University of Vermont.

Candidate Statement: My professional career has been shaped and inspired by ecological economics, and I welcome the opportunity to serve USSEE. As a board member, I will focus on the development of education in ecological economics and on elevating the academic profile of the discipline through outreach with both universities and NGOs. Interdisciplinary departments and degree programs are increasing in number across the USA, and I believe that USSEE can play an important role in contributing to the curricula and scholarly foundations of those institutions. The growing academic and organizational interest in issues such as climate change, equity, and sustainability present vast opportunities for our discipline, and I will work with USSEE to advance the role of education in ecological economics to meet those opportunities.