Lea-Rachel Kosnik

Lea-Rachel Kosnik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), where she has been affiliated since joining in 2004. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (2002), an MA in Economics from UCLA (1998), and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1994). She also spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Ankara, Turkey, focusing on hydroelectric power and renewable energy in the Middle East.

• Education:
  • PhD in Economics, University of California, Los Angeles (2002)
  • MA in Economics, University of California, Los Angeles (1998)
  • BA in Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1994)
  • Fulbright Scholar, Ankara, Turkey (study focused on hydroelectric power and renewable energy)

Her research spans environmental economics, energy economics, regulatory economics, and behavioral economics, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy, climate change, and big data empirical techniques, including textual analysis and natural language processing. Her publications have appeared in academic and non-academic journals, with a 2016 Contemporary Economic Policy article receiving honorable mention as "Article of the Year."

Recent research outputs examine topics such as gender and language in academic economics, benefit-cost analysis of river restoration, pandemic policy drivers, media narratives in elections, and knowledge diffusion in economic journals. She has served as Midwest Representative and Regional Coordinator for the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) and has been actively involved in the Transportation and Public Utilities Group (TPUG) as past-president and board member.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Gerald and Deanne Gitner Excellence in Teaching Award (2006)
  • Valedictorian of West Bloomfield High School (1990)

Kosnik has advised students since 2014 and participated in networks like the UMSL Component and Federal Hydropower Dam Relicensing organizations. She currently leads regional coordination for environmental sessions at the annual MEA meetings.