K-School Gives Tenure To Economics Professor

A former associate professor of economics has accepted tenure at the Kennedy School of Government as a professor of political economy, the school has announced.

Joseph P. Kalt, an expert on the economics of energy policies, officially became a permanent member of the school's faculty three weeks ago.

A Kennedy School research fellow and teacher since 1981, Kalt has been an associate professor in the Economics Department for eight years. He has taught classes ranging from sections of Social Analysis 10, "Principles of Economics," to graduate and undergraduate courses about industrial regulation.

Albert Carnesale, academic dean of the Kennedy School, yesterday lauded Kalt's "superb capability for explaining extraordinarily complex subjects without sacrificing accuracy."

While at Harvard, Kalt has written a book, "The Economics and Politics of Oil Price Regulation," and co-authored another, "Drawing the Line on Natural Gas Regulation."

Kalt said that he expects that his K-School courses will focus more on "immediate, real-world issues and policy analysis," than did his previous courses in the Economics Department.

He said he hopes to change his research focus from energy-related issues to cover natural resources in general, but added that he does not think the nature of his research will change significantly.

"I have always naturally gravitated to the Kennedy School since my research has always leaned towards considerations of public policy," Kalt said.

After working for four years as a research fellow at the K-School's Energy and Environmental Policy Center (EEPC), Kalt last year became the center's assistant director for natural resources.