On January 1, 2026, I will formally retire and transition to Professor of the Graduate School (POG). While my pension will cover my salary, I will continue to maintain an office at Berkeley, manage my research grants, and supervise graduate students. The practical effects of this transition are modest: I will no longer teach large […]
Transitioning from Professor to Professor of the Graduate School (POG) Read More »
The year 2025 was marked by continuity and change—personally and professionally. It was a year of deepening connections with family as the next generation grows, and defines its own paths, continued teaching and mentorship at Berkeley, and engagement with colleagues across continents. My golden years are still golden When you are young, you dread old
My Annual Review – 2025 Read More »
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE) at UC Berkeley has a glorious history. Among its illustrious alums is John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006), one of the twentieth century’s leading public intellectuals and economists. Another is Philip Habib, a distinguished diplomat who played a significant role in easing Cold War tensions. Lawrence Klein (1920–2013) won the Nobel Prize in
Moshe Safdie is a master builder, a world leading architect who aims to address people’s social problems by designing buildings. I first met Moshe Safdie when we were recipients of the Wolf Prize. Safdie radiated the quiet authority of someone whose work speaks for itself, yet he was generous with his time and insights. He
“If Walls Could Speak” by Moshe Safdie -Architecture and Lessons for Economics Read More »
Richard was arguably the leading Ag economist in the world in last quarter of the 20th to early 21st century until his retirement. He was my dissertation advisor, and a life-long friend and collaborator. On July 30th, 2025, several of his students and colleagues assembled with Richard and his family to celebrate his career. It was an emotional
In Appreciation of Richard Just Read More »
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.
My Annual Review 2023 Read More »
As the world is preparing for a big environmental summit in Copenhagen, knowing that an agreement is very unlikely, it’s become apparent how difficult it is to reach an environmental agreement that can stick and change the course of history. People that can bring about such agreement are really rare, and last week we lost
Tom Graff: A practical environmental visionary Read More »
Uri Regev, a teacher and friend of mine, passed away on April 22 in Israel at the age of 80. Uri grew up in Kibbutz Yagur in Israel, studied economics at Hebrew University and came to Berkeley, where he got his Ph.D. in agricultural economics in 1968. He spent most of his career at Ben Gurion
Uri Regev: an unsung hero of resource economics Read More »
Recently I learned one of my dear colleagues, Bob Evenson from Yale University, passed away. Bob grew up on a farm in the Minnesota and got his PhD at the University of Chicago. He became a leading development economist, and taught for more than 30 years mostly at Yale. My early impressions, as a student
Bob Evenson: An economist with heart Read More »
On July 1st we held a celebration on the steps of Giannini Hall as Angie Erickson retired after 33 years of service in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE) and seven years as my Assistant (I actually favor the old fashion term Secretary because it implies the keeper of secrets, or confidant). Retirements
The retirement of Angie Erickson- an end of an era Read More »