Thomas Kinnaman

Thomas Kinnaman received his Ph.D. In economics from the University if Virginia in 1994. Since then he has served as assistant, associate and full professor at Bucknell University. Currently he serves as chair of the Department of Economics.

Over the past decade he has researched the economics of solid waste and recycling. His work has been published in among others the American Economic Review, the Journal of Economic Perspectives, the Journal of Urban Economics, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and The National Tax Journal. He has also edited two volumes of literature on the economics of solid waste on invitation from Kluwer and Ashgate publishers.

In spring of 2009 he served as visiting fellow in American Studies at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. While at Doshisha, he began collaborative research with Japanese economists on various waste issues. One such effort considered various policy options for the international trade in used durable goods such as computers and television sets. These goods are increasingly imported to developing countries but often contain hazardous waste materials that developing countries may be unable to manage. A second research initiative examined the costs of recycling specific materials (paper, plastic, metal, etc.) in Japan. This study represents the first to estimate recycling costs of individual materials.

In the summer of 2010, Prof. Kinnaman began research on the economic and environmental consequences of drilling for natural gas in central Pennsylvania. Bucknell students majoring in economics and environmental studies are collaborating in this research.

Professor Kinnaman regularly teaches course in environmental economics, mathematical microeconomics, law and economics, and principles of economics.