ILWS - Institute of Land, Water and Society
Researchers
Professor Kevin Parton
BCom(Hons) Liv, MSc Newcastle( UK ), PhD NE.
Head of the School of Rural Management
Head of Orange Campus
Kevin Parton describes himself as "an economist interested in evaluating the environmental consequences" and his range of research interests "eclectic."
His area of research interests include risk management, decision analysis, research management, economic evaluation, climate and the economic value of forecasting, strategic management and leadership.
Born in North Yorkshire in England, Kevin completed his first degree in 1973 at University of Liverpool. He has a Masters degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Newcastle. His PhD, on the use of modelling in agricultural policy analysis, was with the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. In 1978 he continued with UNE as a postdoctorate and worked on various projects in modelling of Australian agriculture.
He returned to the UK in 1980 as a research associate with the University of Newcastle where he produced a "the definitive book in its time" on the European Common Agricultural Policy.
Finding he no longer liked living in the UK , Kevin returned to Australia and UNE as a researcher and lecturer in agricultural economics. From 1995 to 1998 he was director of UNEs Centre for Health and Research Development. In 1998 he moved to Canada after accepting an appointment as Chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Guelph .
In 2001 he returned to Australia as Dean of Sydney University's Faculty of Rural Management and the Director of the Orange Campus. A significant component of this role has been expanding research activity of the Faculty. The campus is now part of Charles Sturt University.
"Everywhere I've gone since the mid90s has been to do with research," says Kevin whose career path has given him the opportunity to pursue one of his major research interests climate and the economic value of forecasting.
Kevin is a member of a number of national and international associations relevant to his knowledge in agricultural economics, agribusiness management, modelling and simulation, and the effect of climate change on health.