Dr. James Cato

Dr. James Cato is Senior Associate Dean and Director of the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) at the University of Florida. SNRE offers an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and MS and PhD degrees in Interdisciplinary Ecology. Outreach programs are conducted related to natural resource leadership and conflict resolution, natural areas management and resource efficient communities. Prior to SNRE, he was the director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program, a partnership program among the Florida Board of Education, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Florida's citizens, industries and governments. Dr. Cato currently serves on the Board of the Aylesworth Foundation for the Advancement of Marine Science. Dr. Cato is Professor Emeritus in the Food and Resource Economics department at UF and has worked on special assignment with the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, Italy. He received his PhD from the University of Florida and has authored 160 publications, given over 100 papers and organized over 100 workshops and conferences relating to marine, coastal and resource economics. Dr. Cato is the editor of a book on the economics of the Gulf of Mexico, scheduled to be published in fall 2008.