Dr. Lance Howe

E-mail: elhowe@uaa.alaska.edu

Previous Experience:
Lance came to Alaska in the Fall of 2002 after finishing graduate school at the University of Southern California. Lance was recruited by the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) where he spent three years working primarily on the Understanding Alaska project. From 2005-2007 he had a joint appointment with the UAA Economics Department and ISER in which he conducted research, taught, and managed the UAA experimental economics lab. Beginning in the Fall of 2007 he began a tenure track position in the economics department where he conducts research, teaches, and serves as the director of the experimental economics lab.

Degrees:

     Ph.D. Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 2002
     M.A. Economics, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI, Aug. 1996
     B.S. Political Economy, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA May, 1993

Areas of Expertise:
Economic Development


University, Professional, Public Service:
Experimental Economics Lab Manager - Experimental Economics Lab

Professional Affiliations:
Member, Economic Science Association
Member, Western Economics Association
Member, American Economics Association
Member, International Association for the Study of Common Property

Scholarship/Creative Activity:
Research
My research interests lie broadly within the field of economic development. I am especially interested in applying experimental methods to appropriate research questions within economic development. My areas of interest include: risk coping, risk management, and resilience; management of common pool resources; and migration in the Arctic.

In terms of risk and common pool resources, I am interested in how individuals, households, and communities can manage / cope with idiosyncratic and aggregate shocks. I am currently exploring how local institutions for using common pool resources are designed in light of - or adapt to - greater variability in resource abundance. For instance, how do local rules for subsistence salmon harvests adapt to greater variability in salmon abundance? I am currently working with James J.
Murphy and Colin T. West on an interdisciplinary project exploring these issues. Please click here for more information. Link =
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0729063

In terms of migration research, I am currently working with Lee Huskey, Matt Berman, and others on a project exploring migration in the Arctic.
While traditional economic theory predicts migration is driven primarily by expected wages there are a number of other important factors that influence the migration decision. To date, my work on migration has focused understanding/identifying Alaska rural to urban migration patterns. We are currently working to extend this baseline research to explore the causes and consequences of migration in the Arctic. Click here to learn more about the project Link = http://migration.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/
 

Please click the link below to learn more about my research interests.  http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/iser/people/elhowe/research.htm

Honors, Awards, Certificates, Licenses: