Benjamin Jones

Benjamin Jones is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of New Mexico (UNM), serving as the Graduate Director. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from UNM and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the intersection of environmental economics and human health, particularly examining invasive species, deforestation, wildfire smoke, water quality, and energy resources. His work has been published in leading journals like the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and featured in media outlets such as The Los Angeles Times and Nature Sustainability.

Research interests include environmental economics, epidemiological dimensions of environmental health, dynamic optimization, and coupled human-natural systems. Notable research areas involve quantifying the health impacts of environmental stressors like dust storms, invasive species, and cryptocurrency mining pollution. Jones collaborates with interdisciplinary teams through affiliations like the Science Impact Laboratory for Policy and Economics (SILPE) and the Center for Social Policy.

His articles frequently analyze policy-relevant topics such as the economic costs of wildfire smoke, health damages from cryptocurrency mining, and the role of urban afforestation in improving infant health. His work emphasizes inclusive valuation approaches to capture non-market benefits of environmental policies.

Affiliations include the Nepal Study Center, Institute for Social Research, and Water Resource Program. Jones teaches courses in environmental economics, resource modeling, and microeconomic theory, reflecting his commitment to integrating theoretical and applied economic analysis.