Sahan T. M. Dissanayake is an Associate Professor of Economics, Director of the Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University.
Sahan is passionate about teaching and mentoring students. He has published many papers with student co-authors and guided his students, including undergraduate students, to present at professional conferences. He teaches a range of classes including graduate and undergraduate microeconomic theory, mathematical economics, environmental economics, natural resource economics, the economics of sustainability, public and private finance, and principles of microeconomics.
Sahan does extensive work on land and marine conservation and ecosystem services worldwide. In the U.S., his work includes Illinois' grassland restoration, Oregon's tree shade program to manage water quality, and New England's seafood eco-labeling. His international work in Asia and Africa includes the Okinawa’s coral reefs, payments to prevent deforestation (REDD+) in Nepal and Ethiopia, improved stove adoption in Ethiopia, and restoring ancient irrigation systems in Sri Lanka. His research interests include studying spatial subsidies for renewable energy, economic impacts of fracking, and externalities affecting hydropower.
Sahan received a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics in 2011. Sahan hails from Kandy, Sri Lanka, and likes to read and cook (and eat) in his spare time.