Christopher Costello, a professor of Environmental and Resource Economics at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, has been named a Fellow of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE), which is the highest honor bestowed in the field of environmental and resource economics. AERE's announcement cited Costello's “sustained impact through scholarship, leadership, mentoring and service,” via his research spanning fisheries policy, ocean governance and regulatory design, including his influential 2008 paper in Science on catch shares and fisheries collapse.
“Professor Costello’s research is critically important to combatting climate change and rapid environmental degradation,” said UCSB Chancellor Dennis Assanis. “Professor Costello understands how to create economic frameworks that align human behavior with the sustainable practices we so urgently need. “His dynamic scholarship reflects UC Santa Barbara’s interdisciplinary culture and foundational commitment to the environment, and we are deeply proud that he has received this prestigious honor.”
AERE's announcement also recognized Costello's work as chief economist at the Environmental Defense Fund, his involvement in the Latin American Fisheries Fellowship and his mentorship of more than 30 Ph.D. students and postdocs.
Costello was humbled by the recognition; he hadn’t even known that he was nominated. “It was a total surprise,” he said.