Meet new faculty: Tamara Sheldon, economics
Posted on: September 30, 2015; Updated on: September 30, 2015
Name: Tamara Sheldon
College/department: Department of economics, Darla Moore School of Business
Title: Assistant professor
Degrees: Ph.D. in Economics, University of California San Diego; B.S. in Environmental Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Hometown: Boulder, Colo.
What’s your area of study or research?
Environmental and energy economics
Why did you choose Carolina?
The Darla Moore School of Business is a great place to be, I am really excited about my department. Also, Columbia is a good location for my husband and me because it is halfway between my family (Colorado) and his (Germany).
What are you most looking forward to this year?
Getting to know my colleagues and students and just settling in.
What are you most looking forward to about being at UofSC and in Columbia?
I’ve never been at a university with Division I sports, so it will be fun going to games. I love shrimp and grits and am excited to explore local food and barbecue. I am also looking forward to mild winters.
How did you become interested in your work?
I’ve always been interested in environmental issues. Before going to graduate school, I worked on Wall Street. I realized I could merge my interests by studying economics. I’m interested not only in how the economy affects the environment but also in how we can more efficiently incentivize sustainability.
What made you decide to go into academia?
It’s the perfect mix of research and teaching, both of which I enjoy.
What’s a talent you have or something that you’ve done that people might find surprising?
I love running and cycling. I’ve done two marathons, a few long bike tours and a half-Ironman triathlon (but I hate swimming).
What do you hope to accomplish over the next five years?
I hope to explore some interesting research topics that result in good publications. I also hope to become well integrated into the DMSB and environmental communities and be an effective teacher.
What was your dissertation?
My dissertation is vaguely titled “Essays on Energy Economics.” The first chapter is on how the business cycle affects carbon dioxide emissions, and the other two chapters analyze effectiveness of government policies to stimulate demand for plug-in electric vehicles.
Learn more
To learn more about areas of study in economics, visit the Darla Moore School of Business website.
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