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Ferraro, Hanauer and Sims awarded Cozzarelli Prize

Congratulations to Economics Professor Paul J. Ferraro, alumnus Merlin M. Hanauer (Ph.D. in Economics ’11)  and Katharine R.E. Sims (Amherst College).  Earlier this year The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Editorial Board awarded them the Cozzarelli Prize for their 2011 article, “Conditions associated with protected area success in conservation and poverty reduction.”  According to the PNAS website, the Cozzarelli Prize “acknowledges papers that reflect scientific excellence and originality.”

The paper examines whether or not protected areas are associated with poverty. Protected areas often exist in developing countries where people are in poverty. This article addresses the concern that those restrictions might incidentally trap historically poor communities into poverty by limiting their access to land and natural resources. Ferraro, Hanauer and Sims’ research, however, concludes that there is no evidence that suggests protected areas create poverty traps.

Georgia State University Library users can find a copy of the award winning article here. A podcast interview with Merlin Hanauer, in which he discusses the article is available on the PNAS website. Below is a sampling of other recent articles on natural resource and environmental economics written by Dr. Ferraro: