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When Robert Mohr was in graduate school, his advisor introduced him to a controversial paper written by the influential economist Michael Porter. Porter argued that government environmental regulations such as carbon taxes, recycling, and waste mitigation could lower costs and improve businesses bottom lines. Porter also suggested regulations might trigger innovation.听听

Porter鈥檚 thesis brought down a hornet鈥檚 nest of criticism from economists who dismissed the idea that companies needed any government intrusion into markets. But Mohr, a hungry graduate student eager to make a contribution to his chosen field, disagreed with the critics. He wrote a doctoral dissertation defending Porter鈥檚 ideas, and further suggesting that regulations might help companies overcome fears of having their ideas stolen by competitors.听

Mohr鈥檚 thesis earned him a Ph.D. in environmental economics, lifted his recognition by professionals in his field,听and landed him a tenure-track position in the economics department at Paul College.听

Today, Mohr wants his graduate and undergraduate students alike to experience the same thrill of mastering the tools of economics. He often shares this story with them.听

鈥淚 want to convey that the real reward comes when you make the transition from acquiring new knowledge to creating new knowledge,鈥� Mohr said. 鈥淚n larger economics departments, this is often where students fall through the cracks. I explain that I was once where they are now. And here鈥檚 how I made my mark. Now they can do the same.鈥澨�

Mohr teaches a wide range of courses at Paul, including introductions to microeconomics at the听graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as a course on the economics of climate change. He developed the former at the request of the University of Copenhagen while on sabbatical there in 2009. He's taught it at home in Durham ever since.听

Much like the climate itself, the course, which enrolls many students in the Sustainability Dual Major, has changed a lot over the years. 鈥淚n the beginning I spent more time establishing the scientific argument for the existence of climate change,鈥� said Mohr. 鈥淣ow we take its existence as a fact and focus on its financial impact. That includes forecasting and valuing investments in processes like reducing greenhouse emissions that may not yield 鈥榬eturns鈥� for decades but are necessary for human survival.鈥澨�

Mohr has also applied his economic expertise to addressing critical environmental issues in 易胜博官网.听 Mohr collaborated on听a 2018 survey of 易胜博官网 citizens to determine how much they would be willing to pay to mitigate cancer-causing arsenic in their drinking water. He and his co-authors鈥� findings, published in鈥�, ultimately helped the state鈥檚 Department of Environmental Services change 易胜博官网 policy to tighten limits.听

鈥淎s an economist, it鈥檚 rewarding to be able to join forces with your colleagues and contribute to addressing a local problem,鈥� said Mohr.听