Nathan Cook

Dr. Nathan J. Cook is an assistant professor at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI, starting in January 2021. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Colorado, where he later completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Institute of Behavioral Science. His research spans the fields of public policy analysis, environmental politics, and international development, and examines the conditions under which environmental policy reforms and interventions lead to changes in environmental conservation, policy responsiveness, public participation, and human well-being. Much of his current work seeks to understand how policy reforms can alleviate environmental inequalities. To these ends, his work uses a variety of approaches, including quantitative methods, lab-in-the-field experiments, and randomized field trials of interventions.

Dr. Cook is currently working with local organizations in India and Nepal on a series of randomized trials and observational studies of environmental policy interventions in those two countries, supported by the National Science Foundation. This project reflects his commitment to working with local stakeholders on both the design and implementation of research.

Education

• Ph.D., Political Science, University of Colorado, 2019
• M.A., Political Science, University of Colorado, 2015
• B.S., Biology/Chemistry, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 2013

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Behavioral Science, 2019-2020

Highlights

• Best Dissertation Award, Western Political Science Association (2019)
• Key Personnel, “Inequalities, Institutions and Sustainability: An Experimental Study of Local Efforts to Govern the Commons” (PI: Krister Andersson), National Science Foundation (2018–2021)