Karan Shakya joined Kenyon College in 2025. He is an applied economist whose research explores the drivers and consequences of global environmental change, with a focus on how these changes affect vulnerable communities and their capacity to build resilience. His work has also focused on examining the unintended effects of environmental and agricultural policies, as well as the influence of seasons on children’s well-being in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Shakya’s work primarily involves quantitative analysis, integrating large-scale household surveys with remote-sensed data while also drawing on qualitative fieldwork to support findings.
Areas of Expertise
Human-environment interactions, adaptation and resilience, development economics
Education
2025 — Doctor of Philosophy from The Ohio State University
2020 — Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College
Courses Recently Taught
This course uses economic analysis to better understand the nature of environmental issues such as pollution and the allocation of natural resources. The course also examines the economic rationale behind policies aimed at improving the quality of the environment and altering our use of natural resources. The relative strengths of alternative policies are discussed using a series of case studies focusing on actual policies aimed at correcting environmental problems. This counts toward an elective for the major. Prerequisite: ECON 101. Sophomore standing. Generally offered every spring semester.
This course examines contemporary environmental problems, introducing the major concepts pertaining to human interactions with the biosphere. We explore this interaction on both local and global scales. Course topics include basic principles of ecology (flows of energy, cycling of matter and the role of feedback), the impacts of human technology, the roots of our perceptions about and reactions to nature, the social and legal framework for responding to problems, and economic issues surrounding environmental issues. We discuss methods for answering questions regarding the consequences of our actions and, using a systems approach, focus on methods for organizing information to evaluate complex issues. The course is three-quarters discussion and lecture and one-quarter workshop. The workshops include field trips, experience with collecting data, and application of systems thinking. This course taken at Kenyon, paired with any biology course, counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This course is required for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
This course examines the processes used to understand, analyze and solve environmental problems. Students are introduced to the use of mathematics and statistics to analyze environmental data. Problems involving stock, dimensions, mass balance, energy and population analysis are studied. Applied static and dynamical modeling of environmental problems is emphasized. This counts toward the quantitative skills requirement for the major. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. Prerequisite: ENVS 112. Offered every fall.
With growing concerns about climate change and increasing pressure on environmental resources, the need for sustainable resource management has never been more urgent. At the same time, communities around the world continue to grapple with poverty, malnutrition, and disease, which are pressing challenges that demand immediate resources and investments. Using examples from both international and U.S. contexts, we explore the frameworks for sustainable development, focusing on the trade-offs involved in balancing long-term environmental sustainability with urgent human needs. Students apply these concepts by developing their own sustainable development plans for a location of their choice, using data and cost-benefit analysis to support their plans.
