Dr. Kenneth A. Liao is an Assistant Professor of Economics at 51吃瓜. His research focuses on environmental and natural resource economics, with a particular emphasis on non-market valuation and recreational demand. He applies economic tools to study how people value outdoor recreation, including disc golf, and how policy decisions鈥攕uch as park fees鈥攁ffect participation and accessibility. His recent work examines the impact of pricing policies on disc golf course attendance using large-scale behavioral data.
Beyond research, Dr. Liao is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring students. He teaches courses in microeconomics, environmental economics, and urban and regional economics, incorporating interactive experiments and real-world case studies. He also actively involves students in research, guiding them through independent projects that apply economic methods to real-world policy questions.
Dr. Liao welcomes collaborations with students and colleagues interested in environmental policy, recreation economics, and non-market valuation.
Personal website:
Courses Taught
ECO 156: Principles of Economics (Macro)
ECO 157: Principles of Economics (Micro)
ECO 260: Intermediate Microeconomics
ECO 306: Cannabis Economics
ECO 430: Urban and Regional Economics
ECO 435: Environmental Economics and Policy
Education
- B.A., Mathematics and Economics, Oberlin College, 2009
- Ph.D., Economics, Iowa State University, 2016
