Calvin Bryan

Cal Bryan is an environmental economist joining the Economics Department at Washington and Lee University in Fall 2025. His research focuses on sustainable natural resource management and behavioral responses to climate change. He completed his PhD in Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics at Colorado State University, where he studied how firefighting resources are allocated during large wildfires using geospatial data and econometric tools. His current work applies causal inference methods to evaluate the effectiveness of specific firefighting strategies in halting or delaying wildfire spread. He also has ongoing projects examining how disaster response affects water quality and how natural resource policies influence the cost of managing agricultural risk.

Cal brings a strong background in both education and public service to W&L. Before graduate school, he worked for several seasons with the U.S. Forest Service in the Rocky Mountains, serving as a trail crew supervisor and wildland firefighter (an experience that continues to inform much of his research). He also taught 6th-grade math in Memphis, TN for two years through the Teach For America program and worked as a ski instructor at Keystone Ski Resort. During his Master’s and PhD programs, he taught undergraduate courses in Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. These experiences continue to shape his approach to teaching and applied research.