Christopher Anderson, an assistant professor in the department of environmental and natural resource economics at the University of Rhode Island, was recently named Teacher of the Year and Researcher of the Year in the school’s college of environment and life sciences. He is the first professor to receive both honors in the same year. Anderson is a graduate of Brown University and the California Institute of Technology.
PBN: You’re working on new research. What is it?
ANDERSON: My primary research tool is controlled economic experimentation, where I set up a microcosmic environment in which human subjects play the role of agents I’m studying, like bidders in an auction, traders in a market, or fishermen deciding where or how to fish. I can then change the rules of the environment to study how outcomes change if bidders’ values change, trades are restricted or fishermen are regulated in different ways. I get subjects to role play by giving them the opportunities to earn money that parallel those of the agents whose role they’re playing.
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PBN: Your research has made you a world traveler. Where did you go and with whom did you discuss this research?
ANDERSON: My most interesting trips were to workshops in Iceland and Japan. In Iceland, I participated in a workshop for academics, government officials and industry leaders on using economic experiments to analyze problems in fisheries and the energy industry.
PBN: Will you continue teaching for a while or are there other plans in your future?
ANDERSON: I spend about 30 percent of my time teaching and about 70 percent on funded research, and this is a mix that I really enjoy.
PBN: Where do you see the R.I. economy heading?
ANDERSON: Rhode Island is an appealing place for business growth because we are investing in technology-oriented educational programs and state leaders are providing incentives for companies to locate here. One additional advantage we have over other growing regions is our wonderful quality of life that makes it easier to attract employees.
