Steven Hackett
Professor
Professor Hackett earned a BS in Agricultural Business and Economics from Montana State University in 1983 and a PhD in Economics from Texas A&M University in 1989. Before joining the faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt in 1994, he was an assistant professor at Indiana University in Bloomington. Professor Hackett's academic work focused on the economics of clean energy, the environment, and natural resources. His responsibilities ranged from faculty member and senior consulting research economist to chair of several academic departments and service as associate dean. Professor Hackett was a faculty member in a number of interdisciplinary programs including Environmental Science and Management, Energy Technology and Policy and Environmental Studies. In addition to his academic work, Professor Hackett provided supervision and leadership on numerous projects related to clean energy economics, fisheries economics and economic development.
Hackett was selected as Cal Poly Humboldt's Scholar of the Year for 2005, in recognition of his research into regional economic issues, and what Humboldt President Rollin Richmond described as "the clarity and significance his work brings to global questions of environmental economics."
Hackett's research focused on social dilemmas associated with common-pool resources, and on the effectiveness of various common-property approaches in resolving these dilemmas. His research involved developing theoretical models and evaluating testable hypotheses through the use of laboratory experimental methods. Another line of his research involved the use of economic modeling approaches to understand the political economy of environmental regulation and the economics of fishery management.
Dr. Hackett has published in a variety of scholarly journals and edited volumes, including The Journal of Law and Economics, and Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, among others. His research on California's Dungeness crab fishery received the 2005 gold award for best refereed journal article by the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals. He is author of the textbook Environmental and Natural Resources Economics: Theory, Policy and the Sustainable Society, which was adopted at colleges and universities around the US. His research was supported by extramural grants and contracts from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the California Sea Grant Program, the California Seafood Council, and the Institute of the North Coast.
Dr. Hackett has also been active in regional economic development. He co-founded the Index of Economic Activity for Humboldt County in 1996. Hackett also served as a senior consultant on the development of the City of Arcata's Economic Development Strategic Plan (2004), which won an American Planning Association award in 2005. He founded Humboldt's Office for Economic and Community Development (2002-03).
Professor Hackett taught most classes offered by the Economics Department over his career. He also taught classes for other programs, such as the Environmental Systems Masters Degree program. His teaching focused on environmental classes.
Years Served: 1994-2018
