Robert Dawson
Assistant Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies
E-mail: rdawson2@washcoll.edu
Phone: (800) 422-1782, ext. 7858
Office: William Smith 334
Education
B.A., University of Washington, 1993; M.S., University of New Hampshire, 1996; Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic Insitution and State University, 2003.
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
Teaching Interests
Microeconomics, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Industrial Organization
Research Interests
Fisheries Economics, Air Pollution Regulation
Biographic Note
Professor Dawson is a native of Olympia, Washington. He joined the Washington College faculty in the fall of 2002 as Assistant Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies. He received his Ph.D in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2003. He earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of Washington in 1993, and his Master's of Science in Resource Economics from the University of New Hampshire in 1996. In 1997 Professor Dawson spent time with the Virginia Department of Budget and Planning as a summer Research Fellow, working on a plan to regulate nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants in the state. Currently Prof Dawson is providing expert testimony on market structure in commercial fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Prior to coming to Washington College, he was a Visiting Instructor at Whitman College, in Walla Walla Washington.
Professor Dawson's general fields of specialization are environmental and natural resource economics, and industrial organization. More specifically, he is a specialist on market structure in commercial fisheries and on the use of market-based incentives for controlling air pollution. To this end, he performs empirical research looking at vertical structure in the halibut, pollock, and crab fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean. His theoretical work in this arena is concerned with how one actually measures vertical integration. He also studies the various programs used to control nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds, and other air pollution emissions.
Professor Dawson teaches a wide variety of courses. He regularly teaches an introductory course on environmental and natural resource economics, and every spring teaches either Advanced Environmental Economics or Advanced Natural Resource Economics. Aside from teaching the core course on the principles of microeconomics, Professor Dawson also teaches other microeconomics-oriented classes including Industrial Organization, Game Theory, and Mathematical Economics.
Courses Taught
- ECN 112, Principles of Microeconomics
- ECN 117, Introduction to Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
- ECN 212, Intermediate Microeconomics
- ECN 317, Environmental Economics
- ECN 318, Natural Resource Economics
- ECN 401, ST: Industrial Organization
- ECN 401, ST: Honors Game Theory
- ECN 401, ST: Mathematical Economics
- CNW 102, Graffiti: Comments on Society, Politics, and Economics