Jacob Fooks is an environmental and resource economist whose research examines how weather, climate, and information influence economic decisions, risks, and welfare outcomes. His work integrates econometric, experimental, and computational methods to quantify the social and economic value of environmental information—especially forecasts, warnings, and decision support services produced by the National Weather Service (NWS).
At CIRA, Dr. Fooks leads projects that use large-scale geospatial and time-series data to evaluate the effectiveness and value of weather information in reducing mortality, improving infrastructure resilience, and supporting decision-making under uncertainty. His current research includes estimating the mortality impacts of weather information, evaluating and improving open data sources on the social impacts of weather, and developing methods to link forecast skill improvements to measurable economic benefits.
Before joining NOAA, Dr. Fooks held positions at the USDA Economic Research Service and in the insurance industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Delaware and has published in Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Water Resources Research, and other leading outlets.
