Kurt Stephenson

Synopsis:

Dr. Kurt Stephenson's work centers around water resources and environmental policy analysis. His work broadly examines market-based policies and incentives, water quality and quantity policy, and the contribution of economic analysis to public decision-making. 

Description:

Dr. Stephenson's work examines the design and evaluation of market-based environmental policies such as nutrient trading, wetland stream mitigation banking, and nonpoint source incentive policies. Recently, his research focuses on evaluating technologies that increase the nutrient assimilation capacity of the environment (ex through bioharvest and treatment of legacy nitrogen in groundwater). He examines the use of economic analyses in environmental policy-making and the efficacy of water demand management during droughts. Stephenson is also interested in the diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches with the discipline of environmental economics. A significant portion of his research and public service is devoted to water resource issues in the state and region including for EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program and Virginia advisory committees related to water quality policy and groundwater management.