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Alexander Pfaff

Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
Sanford School of Public Policy
Box 90312, Durham, NC 27708
284 Rubenstein Hall, Box 90312, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Alex Pfaff is a Professor of Public Policy, Economics and Environment at Duke University. He studies how economic development affects and is affected by natural resources and the environment. His focus is on the impacts of conservation policies (such as protected areas, ecoservices payments, and certifications) and development policies (such as roads and rights). Those impacts are functions of choices by individuals and communities that affect land use, water quantity and quality, human exposures (to arsenic, mercury, mining, and particulates), and both the provision and use of information.

Research accessible at AlexPfaff.com



Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy · 2013 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy
Professor in the Division of Environmental Sciences and Policy · 2013 - Present Environmental Sciences and Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment
Professor in the Department of Economics · 2013 - Present Economics, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Faculty Research Scholar of DuPRI's Population Research Center · 2010 - Present Duke Population Research Center, Duke Population Research Institute
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2020 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units
Affiliate of the Duke Center for International Development · 2023 - Present Duke Center for International Development, Sanford School of Public Policy

In the News


Published March 25, 2025
Duke Honors 31 New Distinguished Professors
Published January 28, 2025
Ending Mercury’s Long Hold on Gold Mining
Published May 28, 2024
How Can Forgiving Debt Benefit the Environment? Q&A with Duke Experts

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Recent Publications


Small-scale gold miners’ preferences on formalization: First steps toward sustainable supply chains in Colombia

Journal Article World Development · April 1, 2025 Artisanal and small-scale gold mining employs millions of poor people, globally–yet also significantly degrades the environment. Support from conscientious buyers, based on the information within supply-chain certifications, could induce lower environmenta ... Full text Cite

Time to fix the biodiversity leak.

Journal Article Science (New York, N.Y.) · January 2025 The risk that locally successful nature conservation may be shifting problems elsewhere can no longer be ignored. ... Full text Cite

Politics driving efforts to reduce biodiversity conservation in the United States

Journal Article Ecology and Society · September 1, 2024 Despite global calls to raise protection for nature, efforts proliferate to reduce the extent of, and restrictions in, protected areas (PAs) via legal changes to downgrade, downsize, or degazette PAs (PADDD). Protected area downgrading, downsizing, and deg ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Transitioning to Hg-free Gold Processing: Identifying gaps from current to Hg-free supply chains and strategizing how to bridge them

Public ServiceCo Investigator · Awarded by Conservation International Guyana · 2022 - 2023

Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED2)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Columbia University · 2010 - 2015

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Education, Training & Certifications


Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 1995 Ph.D.
Yale University · 1988 B.A.

External Links


Alex Pfaff Website