Dr. Rigo Melgar

Biography

I'm an ecological economist, interested in learning how to dance and thrive with co-evolving social-ecological systems. I’m passionate about bringing people together to educate, co-learn and envision how we can co-create resilient and regenerative systems by applying diverse economic frameworks grounded in ethical and biophysical realities.

My work is inspired by many, but especially by this quote from Donella Meadows, the mother of systems thinking: “The scarcest resource is not oil, metals, clean air, capital, labour, or technology. It is our willingness to listen to each other and learn from each other and to seek the truth rather than seek to be right.”

Teaching Experience

I have many years of experience exploring new ways to teach about ecological economics in person and virtually. I co-instructed my first hybrid course as a master’s student in 2014 with my advisor Dr. Charles Hall, a systems ecologist and pioneer of the concept of energy return on investment. This was a huge learning experience since Zoom did not exist and we had to rely on less advanced technologies for virtual learning. This experiment in hybrid teaching resulted in being awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by SUNY-ESF’s Graduate Student Association. However, since then I became increasingly passionate about spreading the knowledge of ecological economics grounded in its biophysical, ethical and systems foundations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while doing my PhD at the University of Vermont (UVM), I co-founded Ecological Economics For All. I went to UVM because I wanted to become an expert in ecological economics, and its Gund Institute is known as an early pioneer of the field in the USA. There, amid the uncertain times of COVID-19, I realized that we needed to put our energy to good use by harnessing the emergent technologies that were becoming available for virtual learning to expand the reach of ecological economics education around the world beyond the limitations of academia.

Research Experience

I completed dual master’s degrees in environmental science (with an area of study in biophysical and ecological economics) and public affairs (with an area of focus on international development and the UN system) from SUNY-ESF and Syracuse University.