Kirsten Oleson

I am an interdisciplinary sustainability scientist. My overarching goal is to ensure that the value of nature is captured in national, state, and community decision-making. I employ tools from economics, social science, ecology, and decision analysis to provide rigorous foundations for discussions of what trade-offs societies are willing to make in the name of increasing short-term economic productivity. I engage with national and state policy makers and local communities over a wide range of resource management, economic development, and conservation issues that are of direct and urgent relevance to the state of Hawaiʻi and other Pacific Islands, such as food security, climate adaptation, and sustainable economic growth. I teach the graduate core courses, as well as a graduate policy analysis class. I serve on numerous advisory committees, including for the United Nations Global Coral Reef Fund, The United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounts Ocean Accounts working group, the Global Ocean Accounting Partnership, the Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources Holomua, and Blue Forests. I was confirmed to the City and County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission in 2024. In 2021, I was awarded a Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship.

Xiurou Wu

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. My research builds micro-foundations for conservation and sustainable resource management in aquatic ecosystems,focusing on how human activities affect both ecosystem health and resource-dependent communities under climate change pressures. Through interdisciplinary methodological approaches combining econometrics, mathematical programming, dynamic optimization, and spatial analysis, I contribute to the advancement of natural resource management through research on sustainable use practices and climate adaptation strategies across varying levels of data availability.

Ashley Lowe Mackenzie

I am an environmental economist passionate about integrating the benefits of functioning ecosystems into policy decisions to support effective conservation efforts.
Iʻm interested in everything in the JEL classication Q in ranking order:

• 1.Q5 (I mean you canʻt go wrong with Q51, Q54, Q57, or Q56 and lets not forget Q52 and Q53!).
• 2.Q2 ( I am a die hard Q26 stan, but who doesnʻt love Q23,Q24, Q25, and Q22).
• 3.Q1 (obviously Q15,Q16 and Q18)
• 4.Q4 (We all know how important Q47, Q42, and 41 are gonna be given Q54)
• 5.Q3 (and then lastly Q33, Q34 and Q32 because isnʻt that the consquence of what we are living through now)

Louis Chua

Louis is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) at University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He is currently working on Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) and ecosystem valuation projects across the Main Hawaiian Islands.

Lara Noren

Lara is pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She is interested in the role environmental economics plays in natural resource management policies, especially in nearshore marine environments, such as coral reefs and estuaries. Formerly, Lara was a Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellow working to identify innovative funding solutions to coral reef management challenges with the State of Hawai’i, Division of Aquatic Resources. She possesses a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Ann Nyambega

Ann, an MS student, specializes in employing Theory of Change methodology for conducting localized monitoring and evaluation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation projects in Hawaii. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management, she brings a wealth of experience in facilitating the implementation of climate adaptation projects in the Kenyan context. Ann’s research underscores her commitment to advancing and enhancing sustainable localized solutions and enhancing resilience within the socio-ecological landscape.

Ruivaldo Freitas Viana

Ruivaldo Freitas Viana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a minor in Visual Communication from Luther College. Recently, he worked as a Research Associate for the Center for Behavior and the Environment at the nonprofit organization Rare. There, he supported primary and secondary research on the intersection of behavioral science, climate change, and entertainment media. He is passionate about exploring multifaceted solutions that balance economic development and ecological conservation in island nations.

Helen Hastedt

Helen is a MS student in Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research focuses on quantifying the environmental impacts of tourism on Oʻahu, particularly water use. Originally from northern Germany, she holds a BSc in Environmental Engineering and Management from Lübeck University of Applied Sciences. Her academic path has been shaped by hands-on research in water systems, early engagement in biodiversity and youth policy programs, active community engagement, and a strong interest in linking science and policy. Helen’s current work applies geospatial and consumption data to better understand tourism’s resource demands in island systems.

Zoe Sidana Bunnath

Zoe Sidana Bunnath graduated from the Royal University of Phnom Penh with a Bachelor of Development Studies in Natural Resource Management and Development and a Bachelor of English for Professional Communication. Zoe had worked as a Research Assistant at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, involved in multiple projects on climate change, renewable energy, and natural resources governance at the Center for Natural Resources and Environment. Additionally, she has prior experience in the conservation field, having led a BirdLife International-Young Conservation Leader’s project to support Sarus Crane conservation at Boeung Perk Lapouv and Anlung Pring Protected Landscapes. Passionate about lifelong learning and sustainable development, she envisions a world where environmental sustainability and economic development coexist harmoniously.

Sophie Benkins

Sophie Benkins

Henry Bher

Elanur Ural

Ela is a PhD student of Economics at University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Her research focuses primarily on fisheries, resources, and public economics. She works under the Oleson Lab’s coastal ecosystem accounting team on the valuation of fisheries for the main Hawaiian islands.

Alemarie Ceria

Alemarie has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. With nearly three years of experience in the lab, she actively engages in data management, collection, and analysis across multiple projects. She also develops visualizations for reports, presentations, and papers, ensuring research reproducibility. Alemarie co-authored two publications: “Detecting Religion from Space: Nyepi Day in Bali” in Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment (2021) and “Exploring the influence of activity participation on the economic value of nature-based recreation in the Sierra Nevada” in Journal of Environmental Management (2024).