Benjamin Leard is an assistant professor in the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs as well as the Haslam College of Business economics department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Leard is an economist specializing in environmental and transportation policies. Prior to joining UTK, he was a fellow at Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C. Leard earned his Ph.D. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and his B.S. in Economics and Mathematics from James Madison University.