Spotlight on Our Faculty : Ted Loch-Temzelides
Ted Loch-Temzelides , George and Cynthia Mitchell Professor in Sustainable Development
Research Interests : Climate and Energy Economics and Policy ; Sustainability and Conservation ; Global Health and the Environment
Ted Loch-Temzelides holds the George and Cynthia Mitchell Professor in Sustainable Development in the Department of Economics and is also a James A . Baker III Institute for Public Policy Center for Energy Studies Scholar . His research interests include the energy transition towards a sustainable economy , conservation agreements , global health , and non-standard models of individual decision-making . His current research focus is in quantifying the economic and health consequences resulting from climate change , pollution , deforestation , and zoonotic pathogen transmission . He serves on the editorial board of the journal Economic Theory , and is a fellow in the CESifo Research Network .
How did you first become interested in economics ?
I have always been interested in solving problems subject to constraints . This is what defines economics for me .
Can you give us a brief summary of your fields of research ?
I currently mostly work on the energy transition toward a sustainable economy . Climate change is one of the biggest challenges faced by humanity and we need to do a lot more in order to address it . I am also interested in the many connections between ecology and economics , especially the economic consequences of deforestation .
What are some of your favorite current research projects and what impact do you hope your research achieves ?
On the last topic of deforestation , I am working with an interdisciplinary team that includes physicians and infectious disease biologists , in addition to economists , in order to compute the social cost of deforestation in a way that accounts for the effects of deforestation on human health . Rainforests are hotbeds of virus evolution , and there is evidence that these viruses can reach humans with a higher frequency as the interface between forests and human activity increases . In addition , climate change results in vector borne diseases , like malaria , reaching wider human populations than before . We hope this research will inform conservation efforts around the world .
You and your wife Beata , who is Rice ’ s Study Abroad Director , were Magisters at Martel College – what are your most memorable and forgettable experiences ?
We were fortunate enough to be Magisters of the best college ever for six years and we enjoyed every minute of it ! The colleges represent the best of Rice . We have great facilities , faculty , and staff , but our best asset , by far , is our students . The dedicated student governance structure that effectively runs the colleges is the best example of that . We made lifelong friendships that we cherish . One of the greatest things we witnessed was the students in the college coming together and supporting each other during challenging times .
What do you enjoy most about being at Rice ?
My family includes Rice faculty , staff , a current Rice student , and a Rice alum . We consider Rice University to be an extended family . It is a diverse , friendly , open and accepting place . The world would be a better place if it were a bit more like Rice .
What are your favorite hobbies ?
Beata and I enjoy traveling and cheering for the Owls tennis teams at every opportunity .
For more information on Professor Loch- Temzelides ’ s research projects , including current working papers and a C . V ., see the
Faculty Page on the Economics Department website .
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