Tamma Carleton

Tamma Carleton is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has held this position since July 2020, following a postdoctoral role at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and a faculty position at UCSB itself.125

Academic Background

• PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
• MSc degrees in Environmental Change and Management and Economics for Development from the University of Oxford.
• BA in Economics from Lewis & Clark College.24

Research Focus

Carleton's research integrates economics with methodologies from remote sensing, data science, and climate science to explore:

• Climate change impacts.
• Water scarcity issues.
• Air pollution effects on health and mental well-being. Her work is particularly notable for its empirical approach to assessing how environmental changes influence economic development.234

Affiliations and Roles

In addition to her teaching role, Carleton is actively involved in several initiatives:

• Director of the Climate & Energy Program at the Environmental Markets Lab (emLab).
• Member of the Climate Impact Lab, focusing on global assessments of climate change impacts.
• Research affiliate at CEGA (Center for Effective Global Action).
• Faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences Environmental Health Matters Initiative Standing Committee.126

Recent Publications

Carleton has contributed to various publications addressing critical environmental issues, including:

• Water consumption estimates in California agriculture.
• The relationship between air quality improvements and suicide rates in China.12

Her work underscores the intersection of environmental science and economic policy, aiming to inform better decision-making in resource management.