Josh Graff Zivin is Associate Professor of International Relations and Pacific Studies and Affiliated Faculty of Economics. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Research Director for International Environmental and Health Studies at the Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC). In 2004-2005, he served as Senior Economist for Health and the Environment on the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Prior to joining UCSD in 2008, he was an Associate Professor of Economics in the Mailman School of Public Health and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, where he served as the Director of the PhD Program in Sustainable Development.
Professor Graff Zivin has published numerous articles on a wide range of topics in top economic, policy, and medical journals. His research spans three fields of economics – health, the environment, and international development– and focuses on how uncertainty and heterogeneity affect both individual and societal decision-making. Policy relevance serves as a guiding force behind all of this work. He is currently engaged in three large and distinct projects. The first makes use of primary data collected over the past several years to examine the economic impacts of the AIDS crisis in Africa. The second relies on a unique, matched dataset to understand the role of institutions, social networks, and financial incentives in the production of new scientific knowledge within the life sciences. The third examines behavioral responses to poor air quality and its implications for the economic costs of climate change.
“Health Worker Absence, HIV Testing and Behavioral Change: Evidence from Western Kenya,” (with Markus Goldstein, James Habyarimana, Kiki Pop-Eleches, and Harsha Thirumurthy)
“Health Shocks and Environmental Stewardship,” (with Maria Damon)
“Incentives and Creativity: Evidence from the Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Program,” (with Pierre Azoulay and Gustavo Manso)
"Labored Supply: Climate Change and the Allocation of Time," (with Matt Neidell)
Recent Publications
Azoulay, P, J Graff Zivin, J Wang “Superstar Extinction,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, forthcoming.
Graff Zivin, J and M Neidell, “Medical Technology Adoption, Uncertainty, and Irreversibilities: Is a Bird in the Hand Really Worth More than the Bush?” Health Economics, forthcoming.
Graff Zivin, J and M Neidell, “Days of Haze: Environmental Information Disclosure and Intertemporal Avoidance Behavior,” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 58(2009): 119-128.
Graff Zivin, J, H Thirumurthy, and M Goldstein, “AIDS Treatment and Intrahousehold Resource Allocation: Children’s Nutrition and Schooling in Kenya,” Journal of Public Economics, 93(2009): 1008-1015.
Graff Zivin J and L Lipper, “Poverty, Risk, and the Adoption of Soil Carbon Sequestration,” Environment and Development Economics, 13(2008): 353-373.
Thirumurthy H, J Graff Zivin and M Goldstein, “The Economic Impact of AIDS Treatment: Labor Supply in Western Kenya,” Journal of Human Resources, 43(2008): 511-552.
IRGN 490 Health Economics
Winter 2010
Course Description:
This course will provide a broad overview of the field of health economics. The course will examine how standard concepts and methods in economics can be used to understand incentives and decision making in health-related transactions. It will also focus on the application of economics to health policy in both developed and developing country settings. Upon completing this course, students will be able to apply economic tools to analyze health programs and policies. Syllabus.
IRGN 490 Green Technology: Science and Policy
Winter 2010
Course Description:
This course will provide a basic overview of renewable energy technologies. This includes a high-level understanding of the science involved as well as the policy and market forces governing innovation and diffusion in the renewable technology arena. Upon completion of the course, the students will have a broad understanding of the renewable energy sector, which will allow them to analyze how ongoing developments will affect the market viability of each technology and provide a basis from which to pursue further studies or professional interests. Syllabus.
