Hillary Sackett Taylor
Biography
Dr. Hillary Sackett-Taylor joined the WSU faculty in Fall 2012. Her academic expertise is in the field of environmental and natural resource economics. Her scholarly interests lie at the interdisciplinary intersections of sustainability, specifically with a focus on the economics and management of ecological, food, and farming systems. In her research, she employs behavioral models and experimental economic methods to understand economic decision-making and consumer preferences.
Professor Sackett-Taylor is a student-centered educator who loves working collaboratively in the classroom. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the value of high impact practices including undergraduate research, community engagement, service-learning, experiential (project-based) learning, and study abroad/away. She approaches her work through an anti-racist and anti-colonial lens, lifting up diverse lived experiences and ways of knowing. She believes in promoting the values of intellectual curiosity, community-engaged leadership, and social justice.
Education
- B.A. Mathematics and Statistics, Smith College
- M.S. Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University
- Ph.D. Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University
Courses Taught
Economics (Undergraduate)
ECON 101 Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 102 Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 201 Intermediate Microeconomics
ECON 204 Introduction to Mathematical Economics
ECON 308 Behavioral Economics
ECON 309 Health Economics
ECON 318 International Economics (study abroad)
ECON 320 Environmental Economics
ECON 321 Natural Resource Economics
ECON 351 Special Topics in Economics: Economics and Religion
Commonwealth Honors Program (Undergraduate)
HNRS 101 Honors Discovery Seminar
HNRS 201 Intro to the Commonwealth Honors Project
HNRS 301 Honors Seminar: Indigenous Environmental Management
HNRS 301 Honors Seminar: Caring, Conscious, Community-Oriented Economics
HNRS 390 Honors Service Learning (study abroad)
Public Administration (Graduate)
PADM 630 Regional Economics of New England
Areas of Research
Publications
Professional Service
Professor Sackett-Taylor serves as the Director of the Commonwealth Honors Program at Westfield State University and Vice President (2024-2025) of the Northeast Regional Honors Council. She considers herself a passionate advocate for honors education at public institutions.
Volunteerism
Hillary has been a volunteer coach with Girls on the Run of Western Massachusetts since 2017.