Sandy Dall'erba is Professor, Dept. of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and co-director of the Center for Climate, Regional, Environmental And Trade Economics.

What is the focus of your current work and/or subject of your current research?

My current research interests focus on environmental economics in general and the impact of climate change on agriculture, food security and the global supply chain in particular. I study each of these fields by modelling and measuring the externalities that take place between regions/countries and economic sectors. In that purpose, I use various tools of regional economics such as spatial econometrics, network econometrics, interregional input-output and structural gravity models.

What classes do you teach? What are some of the topics of those classes?

I currently teach econometrics (a.k.a. statistics and regressions for Economists) at the 200- and 500-levels. I am really excited about my new course coming up in SP24. It is entitled "Climate change economics and policy". It has never been offered in my department. I pushed for it because I really believe we need to expose and train the next generation of students and citizens to the many challenges climate change presents.

Do you have any recent awards, honors, or publications that you would like to highlight?

I have published one book and more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on my research topics, some of them co-authored with my past and current graduate students and/ or international visiting-scholars (more than 100 of them). I have been awarded various grants by, among others, NSF, NASA and USDA as well as various academic awards for my work. I have given lectures as a keynote speaker at several international conferences in the US, South Korea, Brazil, Spain and have been an invited Professor in various universities and government agencies in Mexico, China, Turkey, Colombia, France and the US.

What is a book (academic or non-academic, in or outside your field) that you think should be more widely read?

I can think of many but I'd settle for any book focusing on climate change and its impact. One of my favorites is "Introduction to modern climate change" by Andrew Dessler.

Is there any additional information you'd like to share?

A few points that are not known about me:

• I was born in Paris, France, and became dual citizen in 2014.
• I just came back from a sabbatical year in Toulouse, France, where I pursued my research and was a Fulbright-Schuman European Union scholar. The Fulbright Commission took me and several other grantees for a tour of all the famous EU institutions (Parliament, Commission, Court of Justice...). It was marvelous. I had always dreamed to set foot in these buildings and learn more about their work.
• It was my second time being a Fulbright fellowship recipient. When I came to the US for the very first time (at UIUC!) to do part of my PhD in 2001-2003, I also was supported by Fulbright.
• I was a Teaching Assistant for the European Union Center during my postdoc at UIUC in 2004-2005. Prof. Kieran Donaghy was the Director of EUC at that time.
• Being a Frenchman, I bake bread very frequently (something I wouldn't do while in France since bakeries are everywhere!). My kids and neighbors regularly ask for it.