At the American Association for the Advance of Science's (AAAS) Annual Meeting on February 19, 2022, the Association will induct Portland State University Professor Emeritus David Ervin as an AAAS Fellow. AAAS Fellows are an elite group of scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their achievements and contributions to advancing human knowledge and understanding. Less than one percent of U.S. scientists are elected Fellows annually and a minority of those are, as Ervin is, social scientists.
Ervin is an environmental economist and holds faculty positions in Portland State's Environmental Science and Management and Economics departments. He received his Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from Oregon State University in 1974 and has held positions in the federal government, the academy, and think tanks. With his election, Ervin became just the eleventh AAAS Fellow to have served as a Portland State faculty member in the University's history and is one of only three faculty members currently affiliated with PSU (the others being Professors Andrew Fountain and Jonathan Fink).
As an environmental economist, Ervin developed an impressive portfolio of research and collaborations throughout his career. His research and education scholarship embrace multi- and transdisciplinary approaches to addressing vexing challenges and are rooted in an ever-evolving understanding of economics and human behavior. Throughout his career, Ervin has investigated erosion control, water quality, genetically engineered crops, herbicide resistance, the value of ecosystem services, urban ecosystem services management, and factors motivating private businesses to enact progressive environmental policies.
As a founding member and Fellow of PSU's Institute for Sustainable Solutions (ISS), Ervin helped facilitate the launching of ISS when in 2008, the University received a $25 million, multi-year grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. Ervin served as the principal investigator and co-director of PSU's NSF-funded Integrated Graduate Education, Research and Training Program, "Ecosystem Services for Urbanizing Regions." Throughout his career, Ervin has acted as the principal investigator or co-investigator on $14.8 million in sponsored projects.
At the core of Ervin's research and scholarship is his dedication to collaborative problem-solving. An early adopter of problem-based scholarship, Ervin believes in the power of engaging other disciplines and stakeholders to help solve escalating environmental problems.
"I'm interested in bringing the natural environment into decision making, both in the public and private spheres," Ervin said. "When decision-makers and practitioners make decisions, it should be with full appreciation of all the values that the natural environment provides. That way, if a choice damages or benefits the environment, those in the position to make a choice will have done so with an understanding of the potential costs or gains."
According to Ervin, that level of understanding requires cooperation and collaboration. Ervin's approach, for which, in part, AAAS elected him as a Fellow, is to bring together experts from fields relevant to addressing a particular environmental problem, including stakeholders with experiential knowledge, to share their views and expertise.
"You need to have everyone at the table from the start," Ervin said. "That includes the sociologists, political scientists, ecologists, geographers, engineers, and the people out there dealing with the problem day in and day out if you're going to frame the problem holistically and develop effective solutions successfully."
Ervin noted that we will not solve critical challenges such as climate change or water scarcity in a vacuum. Addressing today's global issues will require a broad range of expertise and practical know-how. As a lifetime AAAS Fellow, he will continue to bring his knowledge of economics and human behavior to the table for future environmental projects