Curriculum Vitae

Matthew Braaksma

email: braak014@umn.edu | website: https://m-braaksma.github.io/

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Environment and Resource Economics | Land Use Economics | Development Economics | Applied Spatial Analysis | Economic Issues of Indigenous Communities

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy – Applied Economics
University of Minnesota Aug 2022 — Present

Master of Arts – Economics
San Diego State University Aug 2020 — May 2022

Bachelor of Arts – Business Administration
Eastern Washington University Sept 2013 — June 2017

  • Minors in Economics and Visual Communication Design

CURRENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Research Assistant

Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota June 2024 – Present

Supervised by Dr. Justin Johnson

  • Developed “A Framework for Measuring African Ecosystem Services Impacts from Land-Related Policies” with collaborators from the European Commission Joint Research Centre, and Wageningen University & Research.

  • Contributed to the development of an integrated modeling framework combining a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with spatially explicit ecosystem service models to evaluate the economic and ecological consequences of land use change in Kenya, with a focus on policy goals related to carbon storage, pollination services, and spatially targeted restoration and protection.

  • Utilized Python and geospatial tools (SEALS, InVEST) to simulate land allocations, analyze ecosystem service outcomes, and assess policy impacts aligned with Kenya’s climate and biodiversity goals.

Member, NatCap TEEMs (The Earth-Economy Modelers)

Natural Capital Project, University of Minnesota August 2022 – Present

Led by Nfamara Dampha (Research Center Director), Justin Johnson (PI), and Stephen Polasky (PI)

  • Contribute to collaborative research improving Earth-Economy models that integrate ecological, climate, and economic data.
  • Support efforts to align economic systems with environmental stewardship to inform sustainable development policy.

PREDOCTORAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Student Research Associate

Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies, San Diego State University Sept 2020 – Aug 2022

Supervised by Dr. Joseph Sabia (Director) and Dr. Yang Liang (Co-director)

Research Assistant

Department of Economics, San Diego State University Sept 2020 – Aug 2022

Supervised by Dr. Kangoh Lee and Dr. Jacob Penglase

SKILLS

Administrative

G Suite, Git, LaTeX, Microsoft Office Suite

Statistical

Python (including spatial), R (including spatial), Stata

Teaching

Teaching Assistant for Managerial Economics Spring 2025

  • APEC 3002 - Dr. Frances Homans

Teaching Assistant for PhD-level Econometrics Spring 2024

  • APEC 8213 - Dr. Paul Glewwe
  • APEC 8214 - Dr. Marc Bellemare

Teaching Assistant for PhD-level Microeconomic Theory Fall 2023

  • APEC 8001 - Dr. Paul Glewwe
  • APEC 8002 - Dr. Rodney Smith

WORKING PAPERS

“Can Anti-Vaping Policies Curb Drinking Externalities? Evidence from E-Cigarette Taxation and Traffic Fatalities”, with Dhaval Dave, Yang Liang, Catherine Maclean, and Joseph Sabia. No. w30670. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2022.

RECOGNITIONS

Teaching Assistant Award for Graduate Level Classes

University of Minnesota, Applied Economics 2023-2024

Graduate Fellowship

University of Minnesota, Applied Economics 2022

Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship

San Diego State University 2022

McCuen Endowed Economics Scholarship

San Diego State University 2020

Transfer Achievement Scholarship

Eastern Washington University 2013