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Name: Qin Fan
Title: Associate professor
Department: Economics
Academic Degrees: Ph.D., Penn State

How long you have worked at Fresno State: Since fall 2013 (eight years)

What are you most passionate about in your field and why? My primary teaching and research interest is environmental economics focusing on climate change and natural disasters. Providing opportunities for students to participate in my research projects funded by external funding sources such as the U.S. Department of Energy and Texas General Land Office, helping students to grasp surprisingly advanced methodologies when they are properly contextualized by my own research experience, and celebrating student achievement in this field, are what I considered the most notable accomplishments. Two Craig honors students that I advised received oral presentation awards at the Annual Central California Research Symposium. One of my research advisees (undergraduate student) published a peer reviewed journal article with me a few months after he graduated, which examines the effects of water use on economic growth in California. I believe encouraging undergraduate students to discover their academic identity through research and to take on research projects they find challenging is important to promote student growth and prepare them for career success.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why? Involving students in my research that develops hypotheses about how individuals make decisions in response to changes in climate, environmental services, urban amenities, and other related aspects in the environmental system, are meaningful experiences. The research addresses some pressing local, regional, and global issues such as drought, water scarcity and climate change and aligns with the principles of United Nations Global Compact (Principles seven to nine on environment). In addition, helping students to learn through practical and service-learning projects is also what I’m passionate about. I incorporated a service-learning option in one of my courses, which helped students improve creative problem-solving skills and communication skills through community engagement and on-site learning activities.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job? Watching my former students succeed after they graduate and hearing them tell what they learned in my classes at Fresno State helped them with their pursuit in graduate studies and earning job offers. Two former students are currently working at Google as data analysts. One former undergraduate student just finished his Ph.D. at University of Southern California. There is more than one memorable moment. One favorite moment was when some former students made a trip to Fresno and visited me in my office to share their exciting experiences at their new positions. Another memorable moment was seeing my students waiting to congratulate me after the Provost formally acknowledged me as one of the Promising New Faculty Award recipients during the University commencement ceremony.

What is a memorable moment you had in class, and what does that reveal about your teaching style? I believe the best instructors are those who inspire students by linking the academic pursuits of the classroom to the real world. When I taught the Environmental Economics course, I foreground class discussions with overviews of real-life environmental regulatory controversies, such as the California Grassland area water quality trading program, controversial debates over Temperance Flat Dam, the history of air quality in California, and the Cap-and-Trade program. These are designed to help connect critical thinking and analytical skills to their more familiar ideological context. The classroom atmosphere becomes lively once students can connect the real-life cases to their own opinions and experiences. They start sharing their experiences such as air quality in different regions where they lived, and international students discuss environmental policies in their home countries. In my class, I encourage student-centered learning by opening the class to different perspectives and fostering an engaging and fun classroom environment.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time? I love to travel with my family, and we love outdoor activities like hiking, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. I also love nature photography.

Qin Fan photographing wildlife at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know? I like cooking and I want to discover real local foods as I travel.

Is there something else you would like to share that was not asked? I’m proud to work at Fresno State. Fresno is a perfect place for my family that loves exploring nature and wilderness in the nearby national parks.

Qin Fan photo of birds at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.