Robert Kurzban selected as the next Rasmuson Chair of Economics at UAA

The UAA College of Business and Public Policy recently announced that Robert Kurzban, Ph.D., has been selected to serve as the newest Rasmuson Chair of Economics at UAA.

Dr. Kurzban is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the nature of evolved cognitive adaptations for social life. This includes processes such as those involved with cooperative decision-making, punishment, morality, close relationships and mate choice. He uses methods drawn from experimental economics and cognitive psychology to address these questions.

Dr. Kurzban is the author of the book, "Why Everyone (Else) is a Hypocrite: Evolution & the Modular Mind," in addition to several research publications. He also founded the Penn Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology--or PLEEP--at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003.

He will visit UAA's Anchorage campus this summer from mid-June to mid-August. He will return to UAA for weeklong visits during the 2012-13 academic year.

"Rob's visit is an exciting opportunity for UAA faculty and students," says UAA economics professor Dr. James Murphy. "His work is at the cutting edge of experimental economics and evolutionary psychology."

The Rasmuson Chair of Economics was created through a generous gift from the late Elmer Rasmuson to bring the University of Alaska Anchorage distinction and leadership in the study of economics and its relevance to Alaska's future. The goals of the chair are to advance economic research on topics of importance to Alaska, to advance the teaching of economics in Alaska and to advance public policy through service to the state. The chair can be held for a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years, and the contract can be renewed at the end of each term.

Learn more about Dr. Kurzban's work by reading his blog at www.epjournal.net/blog.