Our faculty are working to understand some of the most pressing global development issues. Our research is on the intersection of environment and development; understanding how households attempt to balance the frequently competing goals of natural resource management and food security; the connection between agriculture and nutrition; problems of agency; and the behavioral and social foundations of development. To address these issues, we incorporate the insights from psychology and sociology to policy analysis and apply cutting-edge econometric techniques. We generate data using both lab and field experiments and apply these methods to evaluate the impacts of development interventions and programs. Our field work takes us all over the world, but we spend a significant amount of time in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and consider them our second homes.
Closer to home, our faculty work to address regional and community development issues in Arizona by examining the linkages between economic sectors. Applied research and Cooperative Extension outreach activities within this focal area include economic base analysis and industry contribution/impact analysis.
