The Muskie School of Public Service is pleased to welcome Professor David Oliver Kasdan, a dynamic and collaborative scholar specializing in behavioral economics, disaster management, and administrative theory — all fields that intersect with a broad range of public policy issues. He is keenly interested in applying his behavioral economics background to questions of sustainability, environmental justice, climate shifts, and energy transitions, particularly as they pertain to Maine. Professor Kasdan will be the first Avangrid/David Flanagan Endowed Professor of Public Policy at the Muskie School.
Professor Kasdan brings extensive international teaching experience in both in-person and online settings, having led courses ranging from undergraduate statistics to graduate seminars on behavioral public administration. Throughout his academic career, he has served in various leadership and advisory roles, including student organization advisor, college committee member, academic association leader, local government officer, journal board member, and journal editor.
An accomplished researcher, Prof. Kasdan has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and other works contributing to the advancement of sustainability, disaster and risk management, behavioral economics, public administration and policy studies. He has also provide research consultancy to government and international agencies.
This fall, he will be teaching two courses at the University of Southern Maine:
• PPM 510: Governance, Democracy, and Public Policy
• PPM 539: Topics: Climate Change Policy
We look forward to the enthusiasm, expertise and insight Professor Kasdan will bring to our students, the academic community, and Maine’s public policy arena!