School of International and Public Affairs Faculty Tenured in 2024
Professor of International and Public Affairs Robert David Metcalfe joined Columbia's tenured faculty in 2024. Tenure is a distinction that recognizes scholarly excellence, demonstrated capacity for imaginative, original work, and great promise for continued contributions at the leading edge of one's field.
Robert David Metcalfe
Professor of International and Public Affairs
Robert David Metcalfe is a applied microeconomist known for applying large-scale field experiments at the intersection of energy and environmental economics, and public finance. Entrepreneurial and energetic, he has an impressive record forging partnerships outside the University to conduct research on how managerial practices and policy interventions can influence energy demand, employee productivity, and tax compliance.
Some of his most consequential and innovative work focuses on the role of “nudges,” where he and his co-authors explore the efficacy of mechanisms that “nudge” behavior in engendering sustained change to energy consumption. A particularly notable paper examines the impact of managerial incentives to shape the behavior of employees, such as airline captains in improving labor productivity and the implementation of fuel efficiency. He has also made significant contributions to measuring welfare changes in government policy, particularly regarding subsidies. His work has appeared in leading economics journals, including publications in the American Economic Review and the Journal of Political Economy.
Dr. Metcalfe earned his PhD from Imperial College London. He served on the faculty of Boston University and the University of Southern California before joining the Columbia faculty in 2024.
Robert David Metcalfe's Faculty Profile