Robert Richardson is Professor of Sustainable Development in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University. He holds a BS in management from Tulane University, a MBA in finance from New York University, and a PhD in agricultural and resource economics from Colorado State University. Professor Richardson's research focuses on the study of the environment and development, particularly the contribution of ecosystem services to socioeconomic wellbeing. He uses a variety of methods from the behavioral and social sciences to study decisionmaking about the use of natural resources and the values of ecosystem services. He has conducted research related to agricultural-environmental linkages, household food and energy security, and tradeoffs in decision-making about environmental management in southern and eastern Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia, as well as throughout the USA. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Professor Richardson is President of the United States Society for Ecological Economics, and a member of the International Society of Ecological Economics.