Peter Richards Email & Phone Number

Queensbury, Ny, Us

Office of the Chief Economist, Office of Energy and Environmental Policy

Developed and led innovative policy workstreams focused on timely priority objectives, from innovations in climate policy, to multilateral development bank reform, to Agency positions on regulation and the governance of artificial intelligence in emerging economies.In collaboration with leaders from across government, academia, and think tanks, conceptualized and advanced market-shaping policy initiatives designed to tackle priority challenges, from creating incentives for methane emissions reductions to creating market for regionally sourced vaccines and fertilizers. Pro-actively built interagency coalitions to expand USAID’s work on White House Administration policy objectives. I established new collaborations with the Department of State, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Development Finance Corporation on medical supply chains and financing for health emergencies. Conceptualized, authored, and facilitated the first-ever collaboration agreement between the US Environmental Protection Agency and USAID. Established first of its kind cross-Agency working group on AI policy and regulation.Serve/d as a member of White House-led steering committees on greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and measurement. Represented the Agency at high level scientific and policy events, from the Global Methane Forum to the Economic Health Dialogues of the Americas.

Conceived, designed, staffed and founded the Office of the Chief Economist at USAID.Provided economics-based counsel to Agency leadership, including the Administrator and Deputy Administrator, on new initiatives, trends, forecasts, and the implications of economic crises. Led the development of guidance on the use of evidence and economics in Agency operational processes.Drafted congressional notifications, developed and managed budgetary and personnel proposals, and recruited, hired, and elevated a team of economists, including the Agency's appointed Chief Economist.

Managed and coordinated high-level economic policy and engagement activities across multiple agencies.Supported efforts to expand the use and generation of evidence across USAID programs. Proposed and developed new workstreams for expanding the use of experimental and iterative approaches to programs within USAID.Initiated new efforts to incorporate experimental methods and learning directly into USAID programming initiatives.Led agency-wide conversations on progress in development economics, data science, and the use of new analytical and observational tools and datasets for policymaking.Contributed to agency-wide agenda and policy on economic growth, and developed strategic partnerships across the US Government, academia and international organizations.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Developed and managed innovative research programs that used observational and analytical tools, such as satellite data and convolutional neural networks, to identify the impact of sustainable landscapes and agricultural development programs.Led innovative research and program development related to agricultural trade and innovation. Served as a liaison between USAID and other US government agencies, including USDA, DARPA,NASA, ARPA-E, and MCC on research and development projects.

Designed and developed a popular upper-level course to engage students on sustainable food systems.Engaged students with the drivers and impacts of changing food systems and in the role of technological, policy and market changes in driving the evolution of land use and agricultural systems.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Developed and implemented multiple research grants to carry out innovative, data-driven research on agricultural and land use change in key areas of Latin America. Research findings were featured in popular press and international media, and contributed to policy changes and dialogue in Brazil and the European Commission.Managed an international research team, served as an unofficial mentor to graduate students, and published project results in top-tier academic journals and popular media outlets.Led paradigm-shifting research on land use change. Developed expertise on the trade-offs between agricultural change, economic growth, and forest cover.

Acahay, Department Of Paraguari, Paraguay

Ms, Agriculture, Food And Resource Economics

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Geography