What is pERE?

The program for Environmental and Resource Economics (pERE) was established in 1992 with leadership from Prof. John Braden  and Charles Kolstad, and with faculty involvement from six departments. The program is currently led by the faculty in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.

What Does the Program Offer?

pERE offers courses, seminars and an opportunity to work and study in a vibrant community of some of the nation's leading scholars in environmental and resource economics. Its faculty serve on major government advisory bodies, editorial boards, and have been visiting scholars at universities around the globe. Their expertise ranges from environmental law and regulatory policy to advanced methods for the analysis of ecological-economic problems.

Courses offered through the program in environmental and resource economics cover modern economic theory and its application to problems in environmental regulation, environmental quality, and natural resource management. A weekly pERE graduate seminar provides students and faculty the opportunity to obtain feedback on work in progress and brings outside speakers in to present to the group.

Program Structure

The program is not an official degree-granting or fund-receiving unit.  It operates as a voluntary association of faculty and departments. The program is headed by a coordinator. Amy Ando currently serves as pERE Coordinator. 

Courses

The program in Environmental and Resource Economics seeks to enhance the quality of environmental education at the University of Illinois. It features courses covering modern economic theory and its application to problems in environmental regulation, environmental quality, and natural resource management. While most of the activity is at the graduate level, the program also has significant undergraduate presence. 

Courses Associated with pERE

Research

pERE has a distinguished faculty known for high-quality research. They have wide ranging research interests, many of which are pursued through interdisciplinary collaborations.  The following topics illustrate this breadth: watershed protection, river management, environmentally-attuned farming methods, adoption of pollution prevention technologies in industry and agriculture, forest policy, species and habitat conservation, mobile-source air-pollution policy, natural-resource damage assessment, evaluation of voluntary pollution reduction programs, and federalism in environmental policies. The faculty serve on major government advisory bodies, editorial boards, and have been visiting scholars at universities around the globe. Their expertise ranges from environmental law and regulatory policy to advanced methods for the analysis of ecological-economic problems.

The program provides an excellent forum for research project development.  pERE faculty have been quite successful in attracting sponsored research. Most of their research is interdisciplinary in nature. Though these projects are administered through the home departments of faculty, this success is translated directly into a capacity to support and develop graduate students. Participating faculty have collaborative research awards from the National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Council for Food and Agricultural Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Energy.

Service

pERE encourages applied research that is directly relevant for the industry, the government, and the public at large. The program and its participants have strong ties with the government agencies like the USEPA, the Illinois EPA, the U.S. Department. of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Illinois Department of Agriculture and Illinois Department of Natural Resources, as well as with the National Science Foundation and environmental groups such as The Nature Conservatory. pERE faculty often participate in public forums on environmental issues. pERE seminars also invite speakers from industry and the government. Recent examples of community and statewide initiatives include:

• A pERE doctoral student estimated the economic benefits of contaminant remediation in Waukegan Harbor, Illinois.
• A pERE masters student analyzed the importance of convenience in the multi-unit recycling programs of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
• A pERE doctoral student is studying the market potential and environmental benefit s associated with perennial energy crop production in Illinois.
• A pERE doctoral student studied the economic and environmental benefits that could be achieved through well-crafted targeting of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program that is designed to reduce pollution in the Illinois River.

These activities have drawn favorable public attention to the program, the Environmental Council, and the University of Illinois.  

Career Opportunities

Environmental and resource economics is a rapidly growing field that offers opportunities as challenging and varied as your interests. Recent graduates, for examples, examined the trade effects of environmental regulations, the economic aspects of forest management in developing countries, low-level nuclear waste disposal, environmental valuation methods, environmental decision-making for military bases, strategies for global climate protection, and pollution allowance markets.

These graduates are now filling positions in academia, industry, consulting firms, government, and international and non-governmental organizations. Among their employers are University of Maryland, Ohio University, University of Idaho, Rensselear Polytechnical Institute,Carnegie-Mellon University, University of Guelph, University of Alberta, University of Central Florida,U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, Reed College, Grinnell College, Whitman College, Davidson College, Kwasei Gakuin University (Japan), Universitas Indonesia and the Hyundai Institute of Eco-Management (Korea), Abt. Associates, Industrial Economics Inc., and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

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pERE Workshop

pERE holds a weekly workshop that provides a forum for interaction between students, faculty, and scholars from other institutions to present and discuss research. It also provides students with an opportunity to present research proposals and prepare for job seminars. Workshop attandance averages 12-15 students and 3 - 4 faculty members.

Current and Past pERE workshop Schedules