FOREST RESOURCE ECONOMICS LAB
Principal Investigator: Andres Susaeta
I am an Assistant Professor in natural resource economics at the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management (FERM), Oregon State University. I previously worked as an Assistant Research Scientist at the School of of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics (FFGS) at the University of Florida. I have been a visiting scholar at the Department of Forest Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and visiting scholar and lecturer at the Institute of Forest Economics and Forest Management Planning, TU Dresden. My research has focused on expanding research methodologies to determine the optimal allocation of forest resources that helps in the decision-making process for natural resources. My main research interests include forest management under uncertainty and risk, forest optimization models, optimal control theory, applied econometrics, climate change and forest-ecosystem services, and natural resource policy.
Current Members
Gang LU, postdoctoral researcher
Gang is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management at Oregon State University. He completed his Ph.D. in Forestry at Michigan State University, where his dissertation focused on evaluating the socioeconomic impacts of China’s Sloping Land Conversion Program. Gang’s research primarily involves policy impact evaluation on local communities, environmental economics, and the application of Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) to assess technical efficiency.
At OSU, he has worked on assessing the impact of the Private Forest Accord on timber production in Western Oregon. His current project, titled "Examining and Comparing Efficiencies Between Multiple Carbon-Based Forest Management Scenarios," employs SFA to explore technical efficiency in carbon-based forest management.
Hsu Kyaw, PhD student
Hsu joined the lab in Spring 2024. She holds a master's degree in tropical forestry from the Technical University of Dresden, where her research centered on optimizing the economic performance of smallholder forest plantations. With a deep conviction in the importance of valuing forests for sustainable management, Hsu is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainable Forest management Oregon State University. Her current research investigates optimal harvest strategies for Douglas Fir plantations in the context of wildfire risk in Western Oregon. Her goal is to enhance the visibility of forests' ecological and economic contributions, ensuring their preservation and sustainable use for future generations.
Chukwuemeka Okolo, MS/PhD student
Chukwuemeka, a natural resource economist, joined the lab in the fall of 2023, pursuing a dual degree (Master of Science/Doctor of Philosophy) at Oregon State University, specialising in Forest Policy Analysis and Economics. His research on the Oregon State Clean Fuel Program focuses on investigating the credit market dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions reduced on carbon intensity reduction targets in Oregon. Additionally, his work explores the cost of producing renewable diesel from forest biomass in the state of Oregon. This entails analysing different pathways related to renewable diesel production using optimisation techniques and investigating future greenhouse gas emissions. He also examines the mechanisms of state environmental policies to assess their effectiveness in promoting green energy sources, enhancing production efficiency, and alleviating financing constraints - critical factors for the forestry sector, environment, and bioenergy sectors, overcoming barriers to market entry.
Asiful Alam, postdoctoral researcher
Asiful brings a wealth of experience in GHG sustainability, GIS & Remote Sensing, and Life Cycle Analysis of Biofuels. Throughout his career, he have been at the forefront of environmental sustainability, specializing in greenhouse gas emissions reduction and management. His proficiency in GIS & Remote Sensing technologies has allowed him to analyze spatial data with precision, facilitating informed decision-making in environmental conservation. In the realm of Life Cycle Analysis of Biofuels, he has conducted thorough assessments of biofuel production processes. This involves a comprehensive understanding of environmental impacts across the entire life cycle, from feedstock cultivation to final usage. His commitment to sustainable energy solutions is evident in his work, where he strives to advance eco-friendly practices and contribute to a greener future.
Asif completed his undergrad in Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET), Bangladesh under Urban & Regional Planning, then he pursued my master's and doctoral degree in Forestry and Natural Resources in University of Georgia. His career journey reflects a passion for integrating technological innovations with environmental stewardship. Whether it's developing strategies for GHG reduction or utilizing GIS & Remote Sensing for spatial analysis, he is dedicated to making impactful contributions to the field of environmental sustainability. At Oregon State University, his research on producing sustainable biofuel from woody biomass will help me aligning my career goal toward a sustainable future.
