My Annual Review 2023

The year 2023 had a promising start. Gradually, we’ve removed the COVID-19 restrictions from the pandemic. We had a lot of rain in Berkeley, but no fires, ending the drought, and even the inflation rate declined. Yet, tragic events occurred toward the end of the year, and we are left to hope for the better.

Our family thrived this year. Arlo (Eyal’s) and Addy (Aytan and Davina’s) will enter middle school next year. Arlo has a great sense of humor and is good at math and games. Addy is a natural leader and an excellent violin player. Shie and Leigh’s son, Geo, is very competitive. He invented the seven-pointer so he could win when we played basketball when he was little. Now, he excels in multiple sports. His sister, Nava, is also a good athlete with artistic talent and many friends. Sy, Addy’s sister, plays the violin very well and is the family’s future scientist. Emet, Arlo’s brother, is a character with a knack for phrasing (he’s known to say, “I love your dog” and charm dog owners). Jake, Aytan and Davina’s youngest, is a dynamic two-and-something-year-old who always smiles and can never be contained.

 

Leorah and I enjoy our dogs in the Elmwood house and the neighborhood. We can deal with old age as long as we can walk for about an hour and a half a day and keep up (even partially) with our grandchildren. This year, we enjoyed our cruise to the British Isles. We were part of 89 knitters and their spouses on a 3000-person cruise ship. We didn’t like the crowds but enjoyed the food and the company. We enjoyed visiting Liverpool, the isles of Man and Skye, Glasgow and Edenborough, charming Inverness, and our favorite, Shetland Island. We love Scotland’s old castles, multiple bridges, greenery, and sheep. We returned with raw materials for a lot of knitted clothing and some unique jackets for me. We also got addicted to the show Shetland (we recommend it). 

I continue to enjoy my research program. I’m working on cases showing how the economy is evolving through innovations implemented through the supply chain. For example, innovation in computing and engineering led to the supply chain of computers and software. These innovations were triggered by policy and economic forces. This year, I worked on understanding the innovations that led to the evolution of the supply chains and the products of the cattle and water sector. Understanding the link between technologies and the institutions implementing them is an excellent way to analyze economic development. I continue to work on the bioeconomy and how to develop policies that would lead to using natural resources like land and water to produce not only food but chemicals, energy, and carbon sequestration. I have an exciting project on the linkage between obesity and health, analyzing the differences and life expectancy between and within countries. Some states in the US have a shorter life expectancy than states in India and much of it has to do with nutrition and investment in health. 

My research is associated with travel. I visited Lithuania, Argentina (twice), Cyprus, North Carolina, Texas, and China this year. I enjoyed these trips, meeting new people, and encountering new cultures. It was great to be in Argentina during the World Cup, to observe the pride of the Lithuanians in their beautiful independent countries, and to see the multiple faces of China during a short stay. A significant value of these conferences is that they force you to renew your program and develop creative ideas and argumentation as you prepare your presentations. I also gained from meeting colleagues at conferences and creating new collaborations and friendships. I look forward to next year’s workshops in India, Ravello, and South Africa.

I continue to invest much time and effort in developing the Master of Development Practice (MDP). The program got new energy from the move to the School of Public Policy, and we are overcoming some of the adjustments. I enjoy working with Michelle and our staff on increasing the program and expanding its offerings. The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is now combining online and in-Berkeley training, and I expect it to grow in the future. These programs educate practitioners for implementing new ideas to address climate change, poverty, and food security.  

I probably will retire from my teaching position in 2025, but I’ll continue working as long as possible. I look forward to and hope for another good year for our family. I hope 2024 will be the year of reconciliation and peace and that we’ll be able to live better together and use our energy to address the challenges facing humanity.