Stefanos A. Nastis

University of Wyoming

nastis@cowboys.uwyo.edu

Correspondence                                                                                                                         Permanent Address

Department of Economics and Finance                                                                                             Tsimiski 114

University of Wyoming                                                                                                             Thessaloniki, 54622

Laramie, WY 82071-3985, USA                                                                                                        Greece

Tel: +1 (307) 766-6240                                                                                                             Tel: +30 2310.263682

Fax: +1 (307) 766-5090                                                                                                           Fax: +30 2310.242885

 

Curriculum Vitae

Education

q     1998-2003:     University of Wyoming                                   Ph.D. Economics

Dissertation title: “Children, Health, and Environment: Some Economics of the Effect of the Environment on Children’s Health”

q     1998-2001:     University of Wyoming                              M.Sc. Economics

q     1992-1997:    Aristotle Univ of Thessaloniki, Greece     B.A. Agricultural Economics, Agriculture

q     1996:             Université Bordeaux IV, France                      Erasmus Scholar Economics

 

Fields of Interest

q     Primary:          Environmental Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Industrial Organization, Financial Economics

q     Secondary:      International Trade, Health Economics and anything exciting…J

 

Work in Progress

q     Nastis, S.A. and T.D. Crocker (2002) “Pregnant Mother’s Valuation of Own and of Child Health”, Colorado University Environmental and Resource Economics Workshop, Boulder, Colorado, USA.

n   Abstract: The value an adult attaches to own health relative to child health is estimated when adult health inputs are choice variables and adult health is an input to child health.  Mothers’ weight gains during pregnancy and children’s birthweights respectively measure adult and child health.  Estimates suggest mothers value child health about six times more than own health, and that this relative value declines with number of siblings, increases with family income, and varies with maternal consumption patterns.      

q     Nastis, S.A. and T.D. Crocker (2002) “The Impact of Contextual Effects on Intrahousehold Allocations and Children’s Health”, 2nd World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, Monterey, California, USA.

n   Abstract: This paper examines the effect of location on children’s health through their impact on intrahousehold allocations. There are several reasons why location may affect these allocations, an important one being ambient air pollution. A model is developed with a single decision-maker and household production that provides a theoretical framework for analyzing the problem at hand. The model considers the choice of household location as endogenous. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III an interval regression with instrumental variables is used to empirically estimate the effect of location and intrahousehold allocations on children’s health. Instrumental variables are employed to correct for unobserved health heterogeneity. Location affects the amount of resources spent on preventive child health care thus having an impact on children’s health.

q     Nastis, S.A. and T.D. Crocker (2002) “Neighborhood Effects on Children’s Health: A Collective Framework with Household Production”, 2nd World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, Monterey, California, USA.

n   Abstract: This paper examines the effect of neighborhoods on children’s health, concentrating on ambient air pollution in the neighborhood as an important determinant of children’s health. A collective model with household production was developed, with two parents as decision-makers, and a single child. The collective framework distinguishes the two parents as separate decision makers. A simulation was employed using real-world parameters obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III to calibrate the model. The results of the collective framework are compared and contrasted with a unitary framework model where the household has a single preference function. The results show that important effects of household allocation decision-making come to light with the use of the collective framework.

q     Nastis, S.A. (2003) “Food Safety and Children’s Risk Valuation”

n   Abstract: This paper develops a theoretical framework that explicitly models a number of activities aimed at reducing children’s and parents’ risk from health hazards, and is applied to the problem of food poisoning from food pathogens. The framework employed is the intrahousehold allocation framework that takes into account the tradeoffs between child and parent health protection, and the consumption of other commodities, since young children and parents live in a household where food consumption decisions are made by the parents. The model builds upon the endogenous risk framework, incorporates the idea that there are a number of activities that offer protection against health hazards, and each protection activity differs in terms of access of the parent to the activity, effectiveness of use of the activity and intensity of use of the activity. The parent’s ex ante marginal willingness-to-pay for a risk reduction that affects both own health and child health is derived, unencumbered by expected utility terms. The theoretical model aids in the creation of a questionnaire that collects the appropriate data for the empirical estimation, and the development of an appropriate econometric specification for the estimation of the relative valuation of child and parent health from the data collected.

q     Chen, H., V. Konstantinov, S. Kurita, S.A. Nastis and A. Telyakovski (2001) “Á Real Option    Model for Evaluating Multiproduct Natural Resource Investments”, Institute for Operations Research and the Management of Sciences (INFORMS) Annual Meeting, Miami Beach, USA.

n  Abstract: A model is proposed that can be used to value mutli-product, multistage natural resource investments in a complete markets setting. The model allows for stochastic prices of the end products and nonstochastic extraction and inventory costs. Using arbitrage arguments, we derive a second-order partial differential equation (PDE) that the value of the natural resource obeys. The PDE can be used to determine the optimal extraction policy for a mine and the optimal operating policy for a processing plant, as well as the no-arbitrage price of the resource. It was analytically solved for the asymptotic behavior of the PDE and we use the asymptotic results to solve the PDE numerically using finite-difference methods. The model was applied to two specific cases: the extraction and processing of bi-metallic ores and the optimal operation of a factory that purchases tradable pollution permits.

      Presented at the 2001 Institute for Operations Research and the Management of Sciences (INFORMS) Annual Meeting, Miami Beach, USA.

q     Nastis, S.A. (2000) “The Tragedy of the Global Commons”

 

Teaching Experience

q 2003                  Intermediate Microeconomics                       University of Wyoming

q 2002                  Intermediate Macroeconomics                      University of Wyoming

 

Professional Involvement

q 2001-2003: Research Assistant University of Wyoming, for Prof. Thomas Crocker, working on a two year EPA grant titled “Benefit Transfer: Using Values from Adult-Oriented Studies to Evaluate Children’s Health Effects”. q Fall 2000: Teaching Assistant for University of Wyoming’s first-year Ph.D. microeconomics, macroeconomics and mathematical economics classes (taught by O. Phillips and R. Godby).  q Spring 2000: Teaching Assistant for University of Wyoming’s undergraduate global economics class (taught by J. Shogren). q Fall 1999: Teaching Assistant for University of Wyoming’s first-year Ph.D. microeconomics and mathematical economics class (taught by J. Tschirhart). q Spring 1999: Teaching Assistant for University of Wyoming’s undergraduate economics of law and government class (taught by A. Del Rossi) q Fall 1998: Teaching Assistant for University of Wyoming’s undergraduate money and banking class (taught by M. Kunce).  q 1997-1998: EQULFA, European Commision Grant on the development of Less Favored Areas. q 1997: Team Coordinator for an Agricultural and Socioeconomic Report of Halastra, Greece, funded by the Ministry of Education and Aristotle University, Greece. q Summer 1996: Research Trainee at the Agricultural Development Center, Thessaloniki, Greece.

 

Scholarships

q     International Student Scholarship, University of Wyoming (2001-2002)

q     Erasmus Scholarship, Sciences Economiques, Université Bordeaux IV, France (1996)

 

Grant participation

q     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Grant: “Benefit Transfer: Using Values from Adult-Oriented Studies to Evaluate Children’s Health Effects”

q     European Union Grant: Improvement of Less Favored Areas (LFAs)

q     Ministry of Education and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Grant on the development of agricultural communities         

 

Foreign languages

q     French            Very good                           

q     German          Good                                    

q     Greek              Excellent                             

 

Nationality: Hellenic

 

 

 

This vita was last updated on 16 January 2004.