NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – When natural resources are tied to production and trade, their environmental costs and benefits are often overlooked. University of Oklahoma economist Georgia Kosmopoulou studies what may be missed – and how to better account for it.
At the end of May, Kosmopoulou will travel to Peru after receiving a Fulbright Specialist Award to collaborate with the School of Economics at the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (UNSA) in Arequipa. During the two-week project, Kosmopoulou will work with faculty, administrators and students to strengthen research culture and expand interdisciplinary collaboration in economics.
The project builds on an existing partnership between OU and UNSA that includes researchers from across campus, including the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, Gallogly College of Engineering and Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. Kosmopoulou’s work aims to bring economics into that collaboration, helping researchers better understand how environmental and economic impacts intersect in areas such as agriculture, mining and agro-industrial exports.
“One of the goals is to help strengthen interdisciplinary research and research-based education in economics,” Kosmopoulou said. “Some of the biggest challenges we face cannot be solved in silos. You need economists, engineers and scientists working together to understand the broader impacts of decisions and innovations.”
Among the region’s research priorities is developing methods to examine the environmental and economic impacts of industries such as agriculture and mining, including effects on water systems, soil quality and biodiversity. Kosmopoulou’s work aligns with the Fulbright mission of promoting mutual understanding and strengthening higher education through international cooperation, shared research and sustainable institutional development.
“Whenever we work with colleagues and students in different parts of the world, we gain new perspectives on how people approach problems and learn from one another,” she said. “That exchange of ideas and educational experiences is important for strengthening research and building lasting partnerships.”
Kosmopoulou, a David L. Boren Professor and Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor in OU’s Department of Economics, joined OU in 1997 and has held leadership roles at the National Science Foundation, including program director in economics. She currently serves as the senior associate dean for research and graduate education in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences and has secured or co-secured more than $7 million in external and internal research funding. She has also contributed to national initiatives focused on interdisciplinary research and benefit-cost analysis.
The Fulbright Specialist Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, supports short-term collaborative projects that foster knowledge exchange and institutional partnerships between U.S. scholars and host institutions worldwide. Kosmopoulou is among more than 400 U.S. citizens selected annually to participate in the program.
The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences is OU’s first and largest college, with programs spanning the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and professional programs.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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