Brent Sohngen
Distinguished Professor of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
Brent Sohngen is a world‑renowned scholar in forestry economics and nature‑based approaches to addressing climate change, whose work bridges ecological science, markets and public policy. His research has helped establish how forests can deliver large‑scale, cost‑effective emissions reductions through global forest and land‑use modeling that accounts for real‑world responses in land use and global timber markets.
Sohngen’s scholarship informs climate‑related policy analysis in the United States and internationally, including contributions to the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s National Climate Assessment. He has also served on a National Academy of Sciences committee examining the Renewable Fuel Standard’s economic and environmental impacts. His models and datasets were used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate national and global forest carbon sinks and land‑use change, informing federal climate analyses.
A member of the Ohio State faculty since 1996, Sohngen is known for dedicated teaching and mentorship that prepares students to address complex environmental challenges. At the program level, he has helped shape interdisciplinary academic programs and course offerings that connect sustainability, energy and environmental economics to real‑world policy and workforce needs. Through Ohio State University Extension, he leads a long‑running webinar series that translates environmental science into practical guidance for farmers, land managers and agencies. He has also provided significant university service, serving two terms on the University Senate, chairing its Faculty Compensation and Benefits Committee, and chairing the college’s Faculty Advisory Council.
As a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recognizing the IPCC’s role in advancing global climate science and policy. He is also a University Fellow at Resources for the Future, reflecting sustained impact at the science‑policy interface. His work continues to shape how decision‑makers evaluate forests in climate strategies, emphasizing rigorous modeling, credible accounting and meaningful benefits for people and the environment.
