This summer, the 14th cohort of the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program graduated. The Beahrs ELP summer program brings mid-career professionals to Berkeley for professional training and I was fortunate enough to be the co-director of the program, alongside Dean Keith Gilless. When Dick Beahrs gave us the means to start the Beahrs ELP, I thought […]
On the Accomplishments of our Environmental Leaders 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
Uri Regev: an unsung hero of resource economics Read More »
Every year during graduation season, I encounter many students who are nervous about the job market. Surprisingly, many worry not only about their technical qualifications, but that they don’t look the part. Some of these students probably listen to the media and studies that have found that good-looking men are considered more competent and good-looking
The Fenigstein Effect Read More »
I enjoy getting calls from my children on Father’s day. I actually get upset if I don’t hearfrom them on my birthday (or least a post on my Facebook wall). We didn’t have Father’sday when I was growing up and I don’t remember celebrating my own Father’s birthday.No doubt that he was born, but I
Happy Father’s Day, Dad 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 »
Both locations have magnificent views of the Mediterranean and the new center is in a shell shaped structures with a wonderful veranda full of modern statues and overall is very elegantly designed but it is tough to compete with a classic Italian Palazzo. However the quiet air conditioning and the smooth operation of the audiovisual
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 »
I got a kick out of learning that Eleanor Ostrom and Berkeley’s Oliver Williamson won the Nobel in Economics. I had a similar response when the Psychologist, Dan Kahneman, won the prize. These are important steps in the expansion of economics and establishing an integrated social science based on rigorous logical thinking and empiricism. This
The New Nobels: Small steps toward integrated social science Read More »