FARE Undergraduate students speak about their time at The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC)...

Posted on Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Katie Caldecott and Alison Grant are FARE undergraduate students who were in the FARE*4310, "Resource Economics" course in Winter 2015.

Alison Grant, Terry Anderson, Founder of PERC, Katie Caldecott

My name is Katie Caldecott and I was fortunate enough to be accepted to attend the Free Market Environmentalism Colloquium for undergraduate students at the Property and Environmental Research Center in Montana this summer. This opportunity was life changing and really opened my eyes to the successes and difficulties faced by free market enviropreneurs. Everyday, myself and about 25 other students from all across the USA attended lectures and discussions that covered many sectors of environmental concern from waste to water. Students were from many different backgrounds from law, economics and environmental studies. I also met Terry Anderson and heard his famous “hat” lecture, which explained the difficulties policy makers face when dealing with different interests. Even more amazing was the fact that this trip was completely paid for! Flights, hotel, food, with the inclusion of open bar, was entirely free. Also, exciting day trips included going to a farm to see free market environmentalism in progress and climbing a mountain. I am very thankful to Brady Deaton and Glenn Fox for writing my reference letters and telling me about this amazing opportunity. I would suggest attending this event to anyone who wants to further their knowledge and network in the food and agriculture resource economics sector.

My name is Alison Grant and this summer I had the wonderful opportunity to work as an Impact Fellow for the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman, Montana. This organization works toward improving environmental quality through the use of property rights and markets. I was able to complete a research project on water markets in California, write an op-ed for a large American newspaper, and perform a Q&A with an Australian economist that was published online. Not only did I learn valuable skills for my future career while at PERC, but I was able to experience the beauty of the American Mid-West. I was fortunate enough to be able to climb the beautiful Rocky Mountains, float the local rivers, attend rodeos, and visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. This summer was truly an experience of a lifetime, and I recommend it to anyone looking to take some time to further their research and presentation skills, all the while experiencing everything the beautiful state of Montana has to offer.