About
Dr. Nkuiya joined the Rensselaer faculty as an Assistant Professor of Economics in Fall 2023. He obtained his PhD in Economics from the University of Montreal and worked for several institutions including University of California Santa Barbara and University of Alberta. His research specializes in understanding how natural resource users respond to changes in environmental and political conditions and mechanisms to promote conservation and recovery. For example, he explores the role of both non-market and market-based policy instruments (e.g., taxation, quotas, and coalition formation) in promoting the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. To address these issues, he utilizes several tools of analysis including spatial models, econometrics, bioeconomic models, dynamic games, and Bayesian learning.
Research
Teaching
Dr. Nkuiya currently teaches Environmental Economics (ECON 4230), Economic Models of Decision-Making (ECON 4320), and Microeconomic Theory I (ECON 6710)
ECON 4230 - Environmental Economics
Develops a critical understanding of environmental issues and policy from an interdisciplinary economics perspective. Covers the economics of environmental quality including the links between the economy and the environment, the causes of environmental problems, evaluation of environmental projects and policies, and policies to address environmental issues with an emphasis on efficiency, equity, and sustainability, and the international dimensions of environmental issues.
ECON 4320 - Economic Models of Decision-Making
An exploration of models of decision-making under alternative assumptions, expanding on “rational” models of introductory economics. The course will discuss the assumptions of these standard models and their shortcomings. The shortcomings will be addressed through the exploration of limited attention and considerations of fairness, uncertainty, and strategic interaction. Applications in areas such as consumer and household finance, marketing, and public policy will be emphasized throughout.
ECON 6710-Microeconomic Theory I
This course aims to offer an introduction to microeconomic theory. It explores contemporary issues in economic analysis including consumer and producer behavior, interaction of firms and households, competitive equilibrium, general equilibrium theory, welfare theorems, externalities, uncertainty, and the implications for economic policy.
Publications
The following is a selection of recent publications in Scopus. Bruno Nkuiya has several indexed publications in the subjects of Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Business Management, and Accounting.
Effects of increasing risk in common resource exploitation under cost asymmetry. American Journal of Agricultural Economics (2024): 1-17 (lead article)
Learning and uncertainty in spatial resource management. Resource and Energy Economics (2024), 78, 101449 (with K. Bediako)
Stochastic growth and regime shift risk in renewable resource management. Ecological Economics 208 (2023): 107793 (with F. Diekert)
Stability of international fisheries agreements under stock growth uncertainty. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 113 (2022): 102664 (with K. Bediako)
Damage sensitivity and stability in international environmental agreements. Oxford Economic Papers (2022), 74(4), 1063-1076 (with H. Eckert)
Strategic pollution control under free trade. Resource and Energy Economics (2021), 64, 101218 (with A. Plantinga)
Stability of international environmental agreements under isoelastic utility. Resource and Energy Economics 59 (2020): 101128
Tradeoffs between costly capacity investment and risk of regime shift. Economic Modelling (2020), 91, 117-127.
Spatial renewable resource extraction under possible regime shift. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 101, no. 2 (2019): 507-527 (with C. Costello & N. Quérou)
Testing the assumptions and predictions of the Hotelling model. Environmental and Resource Economics 66, no. 1 (2017): 169-203 (with C. Atewamba)
Adaptation to climate change: how does heterogeneity in adaptation costs affect climate coalitions?. Environment and Development Economics (2016), 21(6), 812-838 (with I. Lazkano & W. Marrouch).
Coalition formation in fisheries with potential regime shift. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 79 (2016): 189-207 (with S. Miller)
Pollution control under a possible future shift in environmental preferences. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization (2016), 132, 193-205 (with C. Costello)
Transboundary pollution game with potential shift in damage. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 72 (2015): 1-14 (lead article)