Weninger named endowed professor

Iowa State University Professor of Economics Quinn Weninger has been named the John F. Timmons Endowed Professor in Environmental and Resource Economics.

The Timmons Professorship was established by a $200,000 gift from his wife, Dorothy L. Timmons, and son, John L. Timmons, in memory of John, who served Iowa State University for more than 37 years as a professor of economics and major professor to 140 U.S. and international graduate students. Professor Timmons was a pioneer in the field of resource and environmental economics, receiving numerous professional honors and awards for his work.

Quinn Weninger, an environmental and natural resource economist, joined Iowa State in 2000. He earned a bachelor’s degree in forest science in 1989 from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, and a doctorate in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maryland in 1995.

“My research uses economic theory and econometric methods to improve the management of natural resources,” says Weninger. “Much of my work features market-based approaches for managing resources-based industries, such as property rights-based approaches in marine fisheries. My recent work addresses management challenges in multiple-species fisheries under joint ecological and economic interaction. This research contributes to a growing literature on ecosystem-based fisheries management, which seeks a more holistic approach to managing marine resources.”

His other recent work studies rational search and learning in uncertainty production environments, market-based approaches for managing bycatch of unwanted or prohibited species, and capital investment motives, market performance, and rent redistribution under cap-and-trade regulations.

Weninger said, “I am honored that the Timmons family, my colleagues, and ISU have entrusted me with the responsibility of carrying out the Timmons’ vision. I am truly grateful for this award.”

Joshua Rosenbloom, department chair, says of the nomination, “The Economics Department greatly appreciates the Timmons family’s gift, which has made possible this endowed position, which affirms their belief in the value of academic research and the importance of the continuing pursuit of new knowledge in environmental and resource economics.”