Randy Simmons

Randy Simmons is a professor of Political Science and the Director of the Institute for Political Economy at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He is also a former policy analyst for the U.S. Department of the Interior (1983-84).

Dr. Simmons is the author, co-author or editor of numerous articles and books, including Beyond Politics: Markets, Welfare and the Failure of Bureaucracy (Westview Press, 1994) and The Political Economy of Culture and Norms: Informal Solutions to the Commons Problem (Rowman and Littefield, 1993). His current research is focused on environmental policy. His books on this subject include Endangered Species: Critical Thinking About Environmental Issues and in his soon-to-be published Political Ecology: Politics, Economics and the Endangered Species Act.

At Utah State University, Simmons has been honored three times by the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences as researcher of the year.  He has received numerous grants from the National Science Foundation, Quest for Truth Foundation, and the Earhart Foundation. Dr. Simmons received his B.A. in political science from Utah State University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Oregon.