Economics professor of law, economics, and management co-director, doctor of philosophy program in law and economics and Management Co-Director doctor of philosophy program in law and economics
Professor Viscusi received his A.B. degree in economics summa cum laude from Harvard, where he also received his A.M. in economics, M.P.P. in public policy, and Ph.D. in economics. He received awards for best undergraduate thesis and best doctoral dissertation in economics at Harvard.
Viscusi’s estimates of the value of risks to life and health are currently used throughout the Federal government. The Washington Post designated him the "Reagan Administration's expert on the value of life." He has consulted to the United States Office of Management and Budget, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the United States Department of Justice on issues pertaining to the valuation of life and health. Professor Viscusi also served on the Science Advisory Board of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for seven years and is currently on the Environmental Protection Agency Homeland Security Committee. Viscusi is the founding editor of the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, which he continues to publish at Vanderbilt, and has served on the editorial boards of twelve other journals, including the American Economic Review and the Review of Economics and Statistics. He is also the founding editor of Foundations and Trends: Microeconomics. He was the Associate Reporter on the American Law Institute report, Enterprise Responsibility for Personal Injury. He is an expert in a variety of areas of litigation, including risk perceptions, economic damages, product liability, and hazard warnings.
