I am an applied microeconomist specializing in sustainable development and environmental economics. I will complete a  PhD in Applied Economics at Oregon State University in May 2026.  (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Alix-Garcia)

My research identifies sustainable and market-based land-use policies by exploring economic tradeoffs between agriculture, forests, and water. I combine spatial causal inference, field work, high resolution enviro-social data, and microeconomic theory to assess how policies and incentives contribute to environmental quality and poverty reduction. I have led several large-scale projects on forest conservation in Brazil and Cambodia, and I serve as an applied economist on an NSF-funded interdisciplinary team studying community forestry in Southeast Asia. 

My job market paper uncovers rare evidence of large-scale forest restoration on private agricultural land. I show spatial monitoring induces restoration by raising enforcement risks above opportunity costs. I also find a key policy complementarity between markets and regulation whereby farm loans amplify restoration through productivity. 

Before OSU, I worked at the International Budget Partnership on global fiscal policy and have consulted for Conservation International on nature-based climate solutions. 

More info: C.V., ResearchGate, Google Scholar. Email: totor [at] oregonstate.edu