Michael T. Bennett

Michael T. Bennett holds a Ph.D. in environmental and resource economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is an expert in conservation finance, with over twenty years of experience developing inclusive and sustainable pilot programs, policy approaches, and knowledge-sharing platforms for achieving conservation outcomes. He has worked with a range of organizations across the conservation and development space, including the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, Paulson Institute, Forest Trends, The Center for International Forestry Research, Stanford University’s Natural Capital Project, The International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, various United Nations programs (UNDP, UNEP, FAO), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). As an adjunct lecturer at Kean University's Department of Global Business and Economics, Michael teaches micro- and macroeconomics, public finance, econometrics, business research and analytics, and comparative economic systems. His current work also includes policy and analytical support to the Chinese government in its ongoing development and refinement of ecological conservation policies and investments.