David J Lewis

David J. Lewis is a Professor and Emery N. Castle Chair in Resource and Rural Economics at Oregon State University's Department of Applied Economics. His research focuses on environmental and natural resource economics, particularly land-use change, climate adaptation, and ecosystem service valuation. He holds a PhD from Oregon State University (2005) and has served on multiple editorial boards, including the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. Lewis has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles and has been recognized with awards such as the Ralph C. d’Arge and Allen V. Kneese Award and the Savery Outstanding Young Faculty Award.

His professional experience includes roles at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Puget Sound, alongside service on federal and state advisory panels. Lewis advises numerous graduate students in applied economics and environmental policy, focusing on topics like climate change impacts, conservation policy, and natural resource management. He leads grants totaling over $5 million, including studies on wildfire economics, timberland valuation under climate change, and land-use projections for the USDA Forest Service.

Research highlights include empirical analyses of climate adaptation strategies in forestry, the economic implications of land-use changes, and the design of policies for ecosystem service provision. His work bridges microeconomic theory with applied econometrics, addressing private landowner decisions and their broader ecological and economic consequences.

Key contributions include the development of econometric-ecological models to forecast land-use changes and quantify biodiversity impacts. Lewis collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to integrate spatial analysis, policy design, and ecological data, ensuring practical applications for conservation and sustainable resource management.