Research Manager
The Center for Growth and Opportunity
at Utah State University
at Utah State University
Brian Isom is a research manager at the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University who collaborates with outside scholars on research projects and helps mentor the participants of the center’s student fellowship programs.
Brian will be completing his masters of economics degree in Summer 2018. His past research has covered issues relating to the regulation of nuclear energy, the economic impacts of hydraulic fracturing, institutional water management in the western U.S., and the effects of renewable mandates on state economies. Brian is an avid outdoorsman and as such is keenly interested in the way public policy affects all aspects of the environment.
- MS, Economics, Utah State University, 2018
- BS, Economics and Finance, Utah State University, 2016
| Energy | Environment |
| Emerging Technology | Healthcare |
Plastic Pollution – Bans vs. Recycling Solutions
To offset the environmental impacts of products made from expanded polystyrene (also known as plastic foam or Styrofoam), a number of municipalities have considered or implemented bans of these consumer products. This paper examines the environmental and economic impacts of these bans relative to other comparable replacement products.
“Revisiting the Economic Impacts of Fracking in Pennsylvania” Published by Strata Policy, 2017 (Timothy J. Considine) (as Research Assistant)
“The Future of Small Modular Reactors in the US” Published by Strata Policy, 2017 (Brian M. Isom and Michael Reed)
“A Tale of Two States: The Economic Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing in New York and Pennsylvania” Published by Strata Policy 2017 (Brian M. Isom)
“Water In Utah: Institutional, Economic, and Political Options for Reform” Published by Strata Policy, 2016 (Brian M. Isom, Grant T. Patty, Devin T. Stein, Randy T. Simmons, and Megan E. Hansen)
“The Unseen Costs of Coal-Generated Electricity” Published by the Institute of Political Economy at Utah State University, 2016 (Megan E. Hansen, Randy T. Simmons, Ryan M. Yonk) (as Research Associate)
“Renewable Portfolio Standards” Published by the Institute of Political Economy at Utah State University, 2015 (Randy T. Simmons, Ryan M. Yonk, Tyler Brough, Ken Sim, Jacob Fishbeck) (as Student Researcher)
“Equal Access to Justice Act” Published by Strata Policy, 2014 (Jordan Lofthouse, Ryan M. Yonk, Randy T. Simmons) (as Research Assistant)
