Mahmud Yesuf

Mahmud Yesuf is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at American University, Washington, D.C. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Gothenburg University (2004), an M.Sc. from Addis Ababa University (1998), and a B.A. in Economics (1989). His research focuses on development economics, natural resource management, environmental valuation, and climate change adaptation in the context of smallholder agriculture in developing countries, particularly Ethiopia. He has extensive international collaborations with institutions like the World Bank and IFPRI.

Teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses in Microeconomics, Environmental Economics, Applied Econometrics, and African Economies. He has developed online courses and served as a dissertation advisor to numerous students. His work emphasizes inclusive curriculum development, mentoring, and fostering gender equity in economics education.

Research interests span climate change adaptation, sustainable land management, agricultural technology adoption, and the care economy. He has authored/co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles, books, and policy reports. Notable projects include studies on Ethiopia’s climate policies, gender perceptions of climate change, and experimental analyses of risk preferences.

Service roles include committee memberships in faculty governance, curriculum reform, and gender equity initiatives. He co-organized conferences on inclusive economics and contributed to global policy dialogues on sustainable development and carbon markets.

He has mentored dozens of students, including undergraduates awarded top research honors, and advised organizations like the Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association. His current projects explore care economy frameworks and the intersection of gender, climate, and economic policy.