Ryan Wicks


M.S. Candidate
Water Conservation and Management
Resume/CV: Ryan Wicks Resume
Degrees Held: B.S. Applied Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Career Interests: water conservation, sustainable energy production, sustainability metrics, resource economics, benefit-cost analysis non-market values, environmental policy and conflict resolution, social and environmental justice
Contact: rwicks@umass.edu

The natural resources which human societies tap to support their functionality are always finite in some manner, and the utilization of those resources always has an environmental, ecological, and social impact. I aim to develop sustainability metrics at different regional scales in order assess how sustainable the pattern of resource utilization is for a given society, and to be able to measure the effects of policy or technical changes which may influence the environmental impact of that utilization. I am particularly interested in using those metrics to develop improved models which can predict the potential effects of technological improvements, development of better management practices, or policy changes. I aim to use the information that such models and metrics provide to aid policy makers and regional planners in making more informed decisions, as well as the application of using such metrics or models to explore the scope of viable long-term resolutions to environmental or natural resource conflicts. Furthermore I aim to address the environmental and ecological aspects of social justice and equality issues.  Natural resources that I am especially focused on in this context are water availability and quality, soil quality and extent of arable land, and energy production.