Nicole Karwowski is an assistant professor at Montana State University in the Agricultural Economics and Economics department. Her research pairs econometrics and geospatial data to analyze policy, conduct ecosystem valuation, and quantify the role of nature-based solutions in climate adaptation.

Nicole joined Gibbs Lab in 2023, focusing on land conservation policy in the US. She is currently working on a project that analyzes the characteristics and ecosystem benefits of retired croplands in the Conservation Reserve Program. She hopes to learn which lands and landowners enter voluntary conservation programs so as to inform which policy levers can be used to effectively improve agricultural and environmental outcomes.

She completed her Ph.D. in Applied and Agricultural Economics in 2018 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her research on “The Economics of Wetland Conservation”. Nicole received a Bachelor's in Economics and International Business from Loyola University Chicago. Outside of work, she enjoys birding, hiking, and fostering kittens.

See Nicole exploring the cranberry bogs of Warrens, Wisconsin here.