My research examines how environmental quality and energy systems shape economic and social outcomes. I use remote sensing, machine learning, and applied micro-econometrics to measure urban greenspace, air and water quality, and community resilience to natural disasters. I also work at the intersection of energy policy and economic planning, developing forecasts for West Virginia’s energy transition in partnership with state agencies and evaluating the economic effects of alternative decarbonization pathways. I alos study how regulations and institutions affect the delivery of essential services, including creating the first national scope-of-practice index for physical therapists in the United States. Across these research areas, my goal is to produce actionable evidence and tools that support data-driven policy and planning.
Title: The Role of Urban Greenspace in Shaping Labor Market Outcomes.
This paper examines how urban greenspace influences wages and local economic dynamics within a spatial–equilibrium framework.
Using panel data for 950 U.S. urban counties from 2011 to 2019 and an instrumental-variables strategy based on historical land cover,
I show that greener cities exhibit significantly lower wages, consistent with compensating differentials. At the same time, greener
cities experience faster population and employment growth over a three-year horizon, indicating that greenspace attracts households
and expands labor supply. These results demonstrate that greenspace is not only an environmental amenity but also an economic force
shaping wage levels, migration patterns, and regional development. This suggests that urban greenspace can be a viable lever for
local economic policy, influencing where people live and work.
with Elbakidze, L. (2024).
Environmental and Resource Economics.
We quantify how exposure to air pollution influences chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools, highlighting socioeconomic disparities and policy implications.
Read Article →with Nakata, S., Sharma, U., Rahman, T., Rahman, M. (2021).
Policy Research Working Papers, The World Bank.
Investigates how recognizing skills acquired outside formal education affects labor-market outcomes.
Read Article →with Fakir, A., Karim, A., Mubde, M., & Ahmad, A. (2020).
Journal of Smoking Cessation.
Cluster randomized trial in rural Bangladesh testing low-cost behavioral nudges.
Read Article →with Fakir, A.M. et al. (2020).
Journal of Smoking Cessation.
Assesses the impact of a self-monitoring record-keeping logbook on tobacco expenditure.
Read Article →with Fakir, A.M. et al. (2018).
BMC Research Notes.
Details the RCT design, treatment sorting, survey instruments, and data collection approach.
Read Article →A computer-vision toolkit that quantifies street-level greenery and public-space features using Google Street View imagery to support urban analysis and policy.
Read Article →Modeling long-term greenhouse gas emissions and economic & social welfare for new power-generation projects for West Virginia in collaboration with the WV Office of Energy and US EPA.
—Grant by Resilient Energy Economies in collaboration with the Center for Rural Innovation and the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs.
—with Elbakidze, L. (in progress).
Links agricultural inputs and regulatory compliance to downstream water quality outcomes.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →(in progress).
Spatial analysis of community recovery using remote sensing and high-volume mobile-device data.
Presentation Slides →with Plemmons, A. (in progress).
Regulatory impacts on health outcomes associated with physical-therapy licensure variation.
Presentation Slides →with Pyrialakou, D. & Caleno, Y. (in progress).
Effects of air quality on standardized test performance across Virginia school districts.
Presentation Slides →with Cary, M. (in progress).
Effects of air quality on standardized test performance across Virginia school districts.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →with Maupin, I. (in progress).
Evaluates whether targeted mental-health funding curbs chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools.
Abstract / Draft (soon) →