Kimberly Rollins, PhD
Professor and Department Head
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Dr. Kimberly S. Rollins is a distinguished academic and leader in the field of Agricultural and Resource Economics. She currently serves as the Department Head and Professor at the University of Connecticut’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and as the Director of the Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy. Dr. Rollins holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada and earned her PhD in Agricultural & Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1990, following a BA in Zoology from the University of Maine.
Prior to joining UConn, Dr. Rollins several academic positions, including as Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Visiting Scholar at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Her leadership in academia is marked by her tenure as Department Head at the University of Connecticut since 2019, where she has significantly increased undergraduate program applicants and facilitated major curriculum redesigns.
Her research contributions are substantial, with multimillion-dollar grant-funded projects focusing on environmental, natural resource, and agricultural economics. Notably, she co-led a USDA/NIFA-funded project evaluating water institution performance in snow-dominated basins, securing nearly $5 million in funding.
Dr. Rollins has received numerous awards, including the Editor’s Choice Award for her article in Applied Ecology and multiple national dissertation awards for her supervisees. She has served on prestigious panels, such as NASA’s Grants Review Panel, and held leadership roles in professional organizations, including President of the USDA/NIFA Multistate Project W2133.
Her prolific publication record spans peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and technical reports, addressing critical issues in environmental management, water resources, and wildfire risk mitigation. Dr. Rollins’ expertise and leadership have made significant impacts on policy and practice in her field, establishing her as a leading figure in agricultural and resource economics.
