Region

Canterbury

Job

Bill is part of a research team that investigates the impacts of biotechnology and other advanced technologies on agriculture and the New Zealand economy.

Recent projects include estimating the effect of biofuels on agricultural commodity prices and investigating the economic potential of biopharmaceuticals (medicine produced in crop plants and livestock), as well as modelling consumer reactions to genetically modified foods.

In his work, Bill interviews senior scientists and company executives, conducts consumer surveys in person and by mail, gathers and interprets statistical data, performs mathematical modelling with specialised software, writes papers on the results of research, and makes presentations to professional and governmental audiences.

One part of the work he likes is the mathematical/statistical work, which is very much like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. He tries to locate more pieces either by gathering more data or by doing more analysis on data he has, and then works to fit the pieces together to create a picture.

Another part of the work he likes is standing up in front of audiences to present the results of research.

Career Pathway

Bill’s career has consisted of finding and taking advantage of opportunities for professional growth and learning, so that it has been less linear than a traditional career path.

He has worked as an economist in the public and private sectors, which gives him an appreciation for how economics is applied outside the university. He has also worked on farms growing fresh produce, which gives him direct experience with the challenges of agriculture.

Academically, he has a liberal arts background and a generalist education. He has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and French, a Masters of Science in agricultural development, and a PhD in economics. He has also done papers in calculus, biology, chemistry and physics.

He finds his science studies tremendously helpful, because they help him understand the innovations he researches. For example, knowing how the taxonomy of organisms is structured and how plants reproduce helps him understand the debate over genetically modified canola and cross-pollination with related weed species. His science studies also introduced him to the vocabulary of biotechnology. The most important benefit, however, is that biotechnology seems logical and learnable, not mysterious and impenetrable.

Interests

Bill plays the piano and has lately been learning blues and popular music. He has also been learning a bit of blues guitar. He and his wife like to work in the garden, especially tending their vegetable patch. They grow broad beans, potatoes, mustard greens, silverbeet and more. He also enjoys taking his children to the park or just riding around the block on bicycles.