Seeking PhD Student in Conservation Economics

Dr. Robert Heilmayr is seeking Ph.D. students interested in the intersection of environmental economics and conservation planning to join the Conservation Economics Lab (CEL) in Fall 2019. CEL combines approaches from economics, spatial data science and ecology to explore the way communities around the world use and govern natural resources. Examples of current research initiatives within CEL include (1) quantifying the social and ecological impacts of oil palm sustainability standards in Southeast Asia; (2) measuring the effectiveness of corporate zero-deforestation commitments in the Brazilian Amazon; and (3) assessing and designing payments for ecosystem services in South America.

Individuals with experience in environmental economics, econometrics, remote sensing and/or spatial analysis are encouraged to apply. Candidates interested in joining CEL should send a brief statement of research interests and a resumé with GPA to Robert Heilmayr (rheilmayr@bren.ucsb.edu). Prospective students will submit applications to UCSB’s Graduate Division by December 15, 2018 to be considered for the Ph.D. program in UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. Qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (deadlines in late-October) and the Bren School’s Forest Sustainability Fellowship.

The Bren School provides an incredibly rich and intellectually stimulating community of interdisciplinary scholars tackling pressing environmental challenges. The ten-campus University of California system is generally recognized as the world's premier public university system. As of July 2014, UCSB was ranked fifth in environmental economics among all universities in the United States and eighth among all universities in the world. In addition, Santa Barbara offers inspiring natural surroundings with countless opportunities for recreation. The Bren School believes that diverse perspectives are necessary to address sustainability challenges. As a result, we encourage applications from individuals representing the full diversity of disciplinary expertise, tradition, heritage, race, ethnicity, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, socioeconomic status, disability status, or experience.