Duncan grew up in the Southern California desert. The lush lawns, green fairways, and bountiful agriculture of the arid Coachella Valley sparked his interest in managing scarce water resources. Duncan moved to the area for graduate work in water resource economics at UC Davis, and never left. His interest in water resource issues has expanded into work related to agricultural policy and markets. After completing his PhD, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis agricultural and resource economics department before shifting into economic consulting work with a large firm in Sacramento. In 2013, he co-founded ERA Economics, based in Davis, which is dedicated to working with water managers and agricultural stakeholders on issues related to the economics of water and agriculture. He lives with his family in Davis where he spends most of his free time chasing his two young children, who currently seem to have no interest in economics but thoroughly enjoy the rural character of Yolo County.
